§ 286 — Appropriation and apportionment of moneys for the promotion of agriculture and domestic arts

§ 286. Appropriation and apportionment of moneys for the promotion of\nagriculture and domestic arts. 1. There shall be appropriated annually\nfor the department of agriculture and markets an amount of money\nsufficient to pay and satisfy the reimbursement moneys herein specified\nand which money shall be disbursed by the commissioner on behalf of the\nstate for the promotion of agriculture and domestic arts, to duly\nincorporated agricultural or horticultural corporations as defined in\nsection fourteen hundred nine of the not-for-profit corporation law, the\ncounty extension service association in the county of Orange, the\nAmerican institute in the city of New York, the Goshen Historic Track,\nInc., the Genesee Valley Breeders' Association, Inc. and county\nextension service associations in proportion to the actual premiums paid\nduring the previous year including premiums paid for trials or tests of\nspeed and endurance of harness horses.\n 2. Eligibility. (a) To qualify for premium reimbursement under this\nsection, agricultural and horticultural corporations, the county\nextension service association in the county of Orange, the American\ninstitute in the city of New York, the Goshen Historic Track, Inc. and\nthe Genesee Valley Breeders' Association, Inc. must have held, with the\napproval of the commissioner, an annual fair or exposition for the\npromotion of agriculture and domestic arts during the previous calendar\nyear, paid at least two thousand five hundred dollars in actual premiums\nand filed an annual report as required in paragraph (c) of this\nsubdivision.\n (b) To qualify for premium reimbursement under this section a county\nextension service association must have held, with the approval of the\ncommissioner, a fair or exposition for the promotion of agriculture and\ndomestic arts during the previous calendar year open to all youths in\nthat county up to age twenty-one. Except for the county extension\nservice association in the county of Orange, a county extension service\nassociation may not receive reimbursement for a fair or exposition in a\ncounty where an agricultural or horticultural corporation or the\nAmerican institute in the city of New York has held such a fair or\nexposition during the past two years. A county extension service\nassociation must have paid at least five hundred dollars in actual\npremiums and filed an annual report as required in paragraph (c) of this\nsubdivision.\n (c) All organizations eligible to receive moneys appropriated by the\nstate pursuant to this section shall file with the Department an annual\nreport on or before the fifteenth day of December. The report shall list\nall premiums awarded during the calendar year and the exhibits for which\nthe premiums were awarded.\n 3. Reimbursement amounts. (a) Each organization eligible for premium\nreimbursement pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision two of this\nsection shall receive seven thousand two hundred dollars or the amount\nactually paid out in premiums, whichever is less. Each organization that\nhas paid out more than seven thousand two hundred dollars shall also be\neligible to receive an additional reimbursement equal to the premiums\npaid in its youth department, not to exceed one thousand five hundred\ndollars.\n (b) Each eligible cooperative extension association shall receive five\nthousand dollars or the amount actually paid out in premiums, whichever\nis less.\n (c) After reimbursements have been allocated pursuant to paragraphs\n(a) and (b) of this subdivision, the remaining appropriation, if any,\nshall be distributed in equal shares to the agricultural or\nhorticultural corporations, the county extension service association in\nthe county of Orange, the American institute in the city of New York,\nthe Goshen Historic Track, Inc. and the Genesee Valley Breeders'\nAssociation, Inc. if they have not been fully reimbursed as a result of\nthe allocations set forth above. The American institute in the city of\nNew York, if eligible, shall receive two shares of the pro-rated amount.\n (d) In no event shall any agricultural or horticultural corporation,\nthe county extension service association in the county of Orange, the\nAmerican institute in the city of New York, the Goshen Historic Track,\nInc. or the Genesee Valley Breeders' Association, Inc. receive more than\nthe amount actually paid out in premiums or twelve thousand dollars,\nwhichever is less.\n 4. Any organization that shall fail or neglect to hold an annual fair\nor exposition and file its annual report for two consecutive years,\nshall forfeit any privileges or money to which it may otherwise be\nentitled pursuant to the provisions of this article. In computing such\nperiod of two consecutive years, no year shall be counted in which such\nfailure was deemed by the commissioner to be attributable to a cause or\ncondition with respect to which the organization or its directors or\nofficers had no control, or for any other reason which the commissioner\ndeems justified.\n 5. For the purposes of this article, Rockland County Future, Inc.\nshall be eligible for premium reimbursement, as provided in paragraph\n(a) of subdivision three of this section so long as such organization\nhas held, with the approval of the commissioner, an annual fair or\nexposition for the promotion of agriculture and domestic arts in\nconjunction with a county extension service association during the\nprevious calendar year; paid at least five thousand dollars in actual\npremiums; and filed an annual report as required in paragraph (c) of\nsubdivision two of this section.\n