Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROY FREIMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires Secretary of Agriculture to establish agricultural disaster assistance program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning agricultural disaster assistance and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a program, in conjunction with other states, to enable farmers to provide assistance to other farmers who sustain damage or loss caused by forest fire, flood, hurricane, or other natural disaster. In developing this program, the Secretary of Agriculture shall contact the head of the Department of Agriculture, or other comparable agency, of other states to invite their participation in establishing an interstate program whereby farmers who sustain damage or loss caused by forest fire, flood, hurricane, or other natural disaster can seek assistance from other farmers who register to provide such assistance. The Secretary of Agriculture may enter a memorandum of understanding or other comparable agreement as necessary for the establishment of the program pursuant to this section.
The program shall include the establishment of a website to serve as a clearinghouse whereby farmers can register to participate in the program and identify the type of assistance that they are able to provide or the type of assistance that they need.
b. Upon establishment of the program and website pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall post a notice of the program’s availability and notify, by all means deemed appropriate by the secretary, the agricultural community of the establishment of the program. Any farmer wishing to participate in the program to provide or receive assistance, or both, shall register in a manner and form determined by the secretary.
c. Within 180 days after the effective date of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall prepare and publish on its Internet website a guidance document that provides information to farmers on the State and federal liability protections that may be available for farmers who provide assistance through the program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an agricultural disaster assistance program to enable farmers to provide assistance to other farmers who sustain damage or loss caused by forest fire, flood, hurricane, or other natural disaster. In developing this program, the Secretary of Agriculture is directed to contact the head of the Department of Agriculture, or other comparable agency, of other states to invite their participation in establishing an interstate program whereby farmers who sustain damage or loss caused by forest fire, flood, hurricane, or other natural disaster can seek assistance from other farmers who register to provide such assistance. The bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to enter a memorandum of understanding or other comparable agreement as may be necessary for the establishment of the program.
The program would include the establishment of a website to serve as a clearinghouse whereby farmers can register to participate in the program and identify the type of assistance that they are able to provide or need. A farmer wishing to participate in the program to provide or receive assistance, or both, would be required to register. The bill also requires the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare and publish on its Internet website a guidance document that provides information to farmers on the State and federal liability protections that may be available for farmers who provide assistance through the program established pursuant to the bill.