A4634 2R

An Act requiring ²[county boards of agriculture] the Rutgers Cooperative Extension² to establish ²[a summer] an² 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, ²[each¹ county board of agriculture] the Rutgers Cooperative Extension² shall establish ²[a summer] an² internship pilot program to provide working interns to farms in the State. ¹[The] ²[Each county¹] The² pilot program shall operate ²[between May and September of each year,]² for two years¹[. Each], and ²[each¹ county board of agriculture] the cooperative extension² 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 ²[¹in the respective county¹]².

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 ²[a summer] an² intern in a farming internship pilot program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section¹, a person shall:

(1) be a student ²over the age of 18² 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 ²[appropriate county board of agriculture,] cooperative extension² in a form and manner prescribed by the ²[board] cooperative extension²;¹ and

¹[(2)] (3)¹ enter into a written agreement with the ²[county board of agriculture] cooperative extension² 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 ²[lesson plan] learning objectives² 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 ²[appropriate county board of agriculture,] cooperative extension² in a form and manner ¹[to be determined] prescribed¹ by the ²[board] cooperative extension² 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 ²[¹county’s¹]² 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 ²[county board of agriculture] cooperative extension² 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 ²[lesson plan] learning objectives² developed pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection ¹[d.] e.¹ of this section.

d. ²[A county board of agriculture] The cooperative extension² 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 ²[county board of agriculture] cooperative extension² shall develop appropriate terms and conditions for ¹[the] a farming¹ internship ¹commenced under the ²[county’s]² 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 ²[county board of agriculture] cooperative extension² in a manner consistent with all applicable State and federal laws; and

(4) include a ²[lesson plan] list of learning objectives², 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;

(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 ²[county boards of agriculture] the cooperative extension² in order to fund the internship pilot program ²[¹being¹]² established ¹and implemented ²[by each board,¹]² pursuant to this section. The funds shall be annually distributed ¹,¹ ²[in a non-competitive manner ¹,¹ to county boards of agriculture in proportion to the number of interns expected to participate in]² ¹[the] ²[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] and² shall not exceed the expected compensation to be paid to ¹approved¹ ²[summer]² 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 ²[five] seven² percent, which additional ²[five] seven² percent shall be used by the ²[county] cooperative extension² to administer ²and market² the pilot program.

(2) The department may audit, or cause to be audited, ²[a county board of agriculture] the cooperative extension² 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] ²[programs¹] program² 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 ²[¹all¹]² the pilot ²[programs] program² established pursuant to this act. ²[A county board of agriculture] The cooperative extension² 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 ²[each county board of agriculture] the cooperative extension², and an assessment of the success ¹[in] of¹ the ¹[program] pilot ²[programs¹] program² 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 ²[f.] g.² of section 1 of this act.