Establishes a New York native plants designation, the official text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7359--A
     Cal. No. 1123
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on  Agriculture  --  reported
   favorably  from  said  committee,  ordered to first and second report,
   amended on second report, ordered  to  a  third  reading,  and  to  be
   reprinted  as amended, retaining its place in the order of third read-
   ing
 
 AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation  to  estab-
   lishing a New York native plants designation
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 16 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 2-h to read as follows:
   2-H. IN COOPERATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION,
 OFFER SEALS OR LOGOS IDENTIFYING NATIVE PLANTS  AS  GROWN  IN  NEW  YORK
 STATE  AND  CERTIFIED  FOR THEIR QUALITY, PRODUCT LABELING, ADVERTISING,
 AND DISPLAYS. THE DEPARTMENT, IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF
 ENVIRONMENTAL  CONSERVATION,  SHALL  ESTABLISH APPROPRIATE STANDARDS AND
 GUIDELINES FOR SUCH DESIGNATION. THE DEPARTMENT  SHALL  FURTHER  PROVIDE
 EDUCATIONAL  MATERIALS  PROMOTING  AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF NATIVE
 PLANTS UNDER THE NEW YORK NATIVE  PLANTS  DESIGNATION  TO  HORTICULTURAL
 PRODUCERS,  GARDEN CENTERS, CONSUMERS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CORNELL
 COOPERATIVE  EXTENSION,  AND  RELEVANT  AGRICULTURAL  AND  ENVIRONMENTAL
 ORGANIZATIONS.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF THIS SUBDIVISION, "NATIVE PLANTS"
 SHALL MEAN NON-INVASIVE HERBACEOUS AND  WOODY  PLANT  SPECIES  THAT  ARE
 INDIGENOUS  TO  NEW YORK STATE AND ARE LIKELY TO MAINTAIN THEIR RANGE OR
 SUCCESSFULLY ADAPT TO ANTICIPATED CLIMATE CHANGES IN NEW YORK STATE  AND
 THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11627-03-5