Kentucky HB 96: AN ACT relating to urban youth agriculture education.

Bill Text

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AN ACT relating to urban youth agriculture education. 1 
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2 
SECTION 1.      A  NEW  SECTION  OF  KRS  CHAPTER  247  IS  CREATED  TO 3 
READ AS FOLLOWS: 4 
(1) For the purposes of this section: 5 
(a) "Extension   service"   means   the   University   of   Kentucky   Cooperative 6 
Extension Service; 7 
(b) "Farm  land"  means  land  that  is  part  of  a  farming  operation  or  business 8 
enterprise engaged in the production of agricultural products, commodities, 9 
or livestock and is operated by a person, legal entity, or joint operation that 10 
is  eligible  to  receive  payments  directly  or  indirectly  under  one  (1)  or  more 11 
United States Department of Agriculture programs; 12 
(c) "Initiative" means the Kentucky Urban Farming Youth Initiative; 13 
(d) "Minor" means any person who has not reached the age of eighteen (18); 14 
(e) "Program"  means  any  educational  program  that  is  part  of  the  Kentucky 15 
Urban Farming Youth Initiative; and 16 
(f) "Urban  counties"  means  counties  with  a  population  of  one  hundred  fifty 17 
thousand (150,000) or more according to the most recent federal decennial 18 
census. 19 
(2) There is hereby established the Kentucky Urban Farming Youth Initiative, which 20 
shall  be  administered  by  the  University  of  Kentucky  Cooperative  Extension 21 
Service  and  its  individual  offices  within  the  Commonwealth  as  appropriate.  The 22 
extension  service  shall  initiate  a  pilot  program  in  one  (1)  or  more  individual 23 
offices  beginning  August  1,  2023,  and  shall  administer  the  initiative  in  all 24 
appropriate offices throughout the Commonwealth beginning August 1, 2024. 25 
(3) The initiative shall: 26 
(a) Promote farming and the efficient use of land in urban counties; 27 

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(b) Educate  program  participants  on  all  aspects  of  farming  in  an  urban 1 
environment and encourage other members of the community to begin and 2 
to continue farming; and 3 
(c) Provide a sufficient understanding of farming operations so that graduating 4 
participants  may  obtain  an  agricultural  sales  tax  exemption  number  as 5 
found  in  KRS  139.481  and  subsequently  operate  successful,  small-scale 6 
farms within their communities. 7 
(4) The length of each program term shall be one (1) year in duration, and each term 8 
shall  begin  in  January  on  a  date  specified  by  the  extension  service.  Programs 9 
shall be available to applicants at each extension service office located within or 10 
serving  an  urban  county  of  the  Commonwealth.  An  office  may work  with  an 11 
existing   state   or   local   agricultural   organization   to   better   provide   for   the 12 
administration of a program and the initiative. 13 
(5) Each  extension  service  office  administering  a  program  shall  accept  and  review 14 
applications  from  eligible  applicants.  Program  participation  shall  be  at  the 15 
discretion of each office and shall include as many participants as is practicable 16 
on an annual basis. To be eligible to participate in a program, an applicant shall: 17 
(a) Be at least six (6) years of age and no more than eighteen (18) years of age; 18 
(b) Have  fully  authorized  access  to  no  less  than  one-hundredth  (0.01)  of  an 19 
acre  of  farm  land  located  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  extension  service 20 
office administering the program on which to farm; 21 
(c) If  the  applicant is  a  minor,  identify  a  parent  or  legal  guardian  who  shall 22 
provide  assistance  and  guidance  for  the  applicant's  participation  in  the 23 
program for the duration of the term; and 24 
(d) Be available to participate in the program for the full duration of the term. 25