ASSEMBLY, No. 4634
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman ROY FREIMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblywoman MILA M. JASEY
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Sauickie
SYNOPSIS
Requires county boards of agriculture to establish summer internship pilot program at certain farms; appropriates $2.1 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee on September 22, 2022, with amendments.
An Act requiring county boards of agriculture to establish a summer internship pilot program at certain farms, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. 1[Each] Not more than 180 days after the effective date of this act, each1 county board of agriculture shall establish a summer internship pilot program to provide working interns to farms in the State. 1[The] Each county1 pilot program shall operate between May and September of each year, for two years1[. Each], and each1 county board of agriculture shall develop application, selection, stipend distribution, and evaluation processes1,1 consistent with the provisions of this section1,1 in order to implement the pilot program 1in the respective county1.
b. 1[A county board of agriculture shall develop an application process by which interested persons can apply to participate in the pilot program as summer interns.]1 In order to be eligible 1to participate as a summer intern in a farming internship pilot program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section1, a person shall:
(1) be a student at a high school, vocational school, or institution of higher education, including 1[as]1 a graduate student;
1(2) submit an application to the appropriate county board of agriculture, in a form and manner prescribed by the board;1 and
1[(2)] (3)1 enter into a written agreement with the county board of agriculture and 1[an owner of an eligible farm that] a farming internship provider approved pursuant to subsection c. of this section, which1 specifies the terms and conditions of the internship pilot program1[, including] and describes the content of1 the lesson plan developed pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection 1[d.] e.1 of this section.
c. 1[The] In order to be eligible to participate as a farming internship provider in a farming internship pilot program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the1 owner of a farm 1[may apply] shall:
(1) submit an application1 to the appropriate county board of agriculture, in a form and manner 1[to be determined] prescribed1 by the board 1[, in order to participate in the pilot program. Other];
(2) agree not to receive any financial or other compensation, other1 than the labor of the intern, 1[the owner of a farm shall not receive any financial compensation]1 for participating 1as a farming internship provider1 in the 1county’s1 pilot program1[. In order to participate in the pilot program, the owner of the farm shall]; and
(3)1 enter into a written agreement with the county board of agriculture and 1[the] an1 intern 1[that] approved pursuant to subsection b. of this section, which1 specifies the terms and conditions of the internship1[, including] and describes1 the 1content of the1 lesson plan developed pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection 1[d.] e.1 of this section.
d. A county board of agriculture shall 1[review] approve or reject1 applications received pursuant to subsections b. and c. of this section, and 1shall1 assign 1[a person] interns1 approved 1[for the summer intern pilot program with an] pursuant to subsection b. of this section to work for farming internship providers1 approved 1[farm owner] pursuant to subsection c. of this section1. A 1[farm] farming internship provider1 shall not be assigned more than 10 interns per year.
1e.1 The county board of agriculture shall develop appropriate terms and conditions for 1[the] a farming1 internship 1commenced under the county’s pilot program1, which 1terms and conditions1 shall:
(1) 1[include] identify1 the expected duration of the internship;
(2) provide the expected schedule and working hours of the intern, which shall not exceed 40 hours per week;
(3) clearly state the hourly wage or other compensation structure for the intern, which compensation shall be paid by the county board of agriculture in a manner consistent with all applicable State and federal laws; and
(4) include a lesson plan, which enumerates the knowledge and skills that are to be transmitted 1to each approved intern1 by 1[the owner of the farm] each approved farming internship provider1, or 1[an] by a designated1 employee 1[of the farm delegated by the owner, to the intern] thereof1, which knowledge and skills may include, but 1[are] need1 not 1be1 limited to:
(a) planting, caring for, or harvesting agricultural crops;
(b) rearing, breeding, or slaughtering farm animals;
(c) fertilizing and properly maintaining agricultural soil;
(d) operating or maintaining agricultural vehicles and machinery;
(e) increasing the sustainability of, or mitigating pollution from, agricultural operations; and
(f) producing, marketing, and selling agricultural products.
1[e.] f.1 (1) The Department of Agriculture shall distribute the funds appropriated by section 2 of this act to county boards of agriculture in order to fund the internship pilot program 1being1 established 1and implemented by each board,1 pursuant to this section. The funds shall be annually distributed 1,1 in a non-competitive manner 1,1 to county boards of agriculture in proportion to the number of interns expected to participate in 1[the] each such1 county's pilot program during the summer next following the distribution of the funds. The amount distributed to a county board of agriculture shall not exceed the expected compensation to be paid to 1approved1 summer interns 1[approved for the pilot program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section]1 in the year in which the funds are distributed, plus five percent, which additional five percent shall be used by the county to administer the pilot program.
(2) The department may audit, or cause to be audited, a county board of agriculture in order to determine compliance with the provisions of this section.
1[f.] g.1 No later than six months after the completion of the second year of the pilot 1[program] programs1 established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the Department of Agriculture shall submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature 1,1 a report on 1all1 the pilot programs established pursuant to this act. A county board of agriculture shall, upon request, provide information to the department as may be necessary for the development of the report. The report shall 1[provide] include1 an account of all State funds distributed pursuant to this act, a summary of the pilot program implemented by each county board of agriculture, and an assessment of the success 1[in] of1 the 1[program] pilot programs1 in cultivating an interest in agriculture 1[in] among1 students in the State.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture the amount of $2.1 million, in order to implement the provisions of section 1 of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission by the Department of Agriculture of the report required pursuant to subsection f. of section 1 of this act.