Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANDREA KATZ
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
Assemblyman WILLIAM W. SPEARMAN
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Office of Farm Ombudsman in Department of Agriculture; appropriates $250,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing an Office of the Farm Ombudsman in the Department of Agriculture, supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established in the Department of Agriculture the Office of the Farm Ombudsman. The purpose of the Office of the Farm Ombudsman shall be to:
(1) serve as a resource to provide information and support to farmers and prospective farmers regarding local, State, and federal laws and rules and regulations governing agriculture and the business of farming;
(2) provide advice and assistance on the process of obtaining and renewing permits of any kind relating to agriculture, farm operations, and the business of farming;
(3) provide information, support, and assistance to farmers during declared federal or State states of emergency;
(4) provide assistance, information, and advice to farmers and prospective farmers on plant and animal diseases and pests, land acquisition and expansion of farming operations, business planning, and climate issues; and
(5) provide information, support, and assistance to farmers in grant application processes related to farming and farming operations.
b. The Secretary of Agriculture shall appoint a Farm Ombudsman, who shall be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office. The ombudsman shall be a person of recognized judgment, integrity, and objectivity, and shall be skilled in communication, conflict resolution, and professionalism.
c. The ombudsman shall organize and direct the work of the office, including the work of such professional and clerical staff as may be necessary to carry out the ombudsman's duties.
2. a. The duties of the Farm Ombudsman shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:
(1) to serve as a source of information and assistance for farmers and prospective farmers to navigate local, State, and federal laws and regulations governing agriculture and business;
(2) to provide information and support to farmers and prospective farmers in navigating the process of obtaining and renewing permits related to farming and farming operations;
(3) to provide assistance and support to farmers and prospective farmers facing issues in the agriculture and business sectors, including emergent pests and diseases, challenges posed by climate change and natural disasters, farming equipment, farmland preservation, farm transfer plans, and farm labor;
(4) to gather information from farmers and prospective farmers on impediments to farming, land acquisition for farming;
(5) to identify patterns of complaints that emerge regarding agriculture, business, and permitting processes;
(6) to assist the Department of Agriculture in developing and disseminating information to acquaint and educate farmers and prospective farmers about the services offered by the Office of the Farm Ombudsman; and
(7) to serve as a resource for agriculture and business-related information and referrals to other available programs and services for farmers and prospective farmers.
b. The ombudsman shall treat communications received in the course of the ombudsman's duties, including personally identifiable information regarding farmers, prospective farmers, and others from whom information is acquired, as confidential, except when disclosure is necessary to enable the ombudsman to perform the duties of the office and consent for disclosure is obtained. Upon receipt of information that by law is confidential or privileged, the ombudsman shall maintain the confidentiality of the information and shall not disclose or disseminate the information except as provided by applicable State or federal law.
3. The Office of the Farm Ombudsman shall prepare an annual report to be annually submitted to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, that shall include a summary of the services the ombudsman provided during the year, recommendations on changes to the existing laws, rules, regulations, programs, policies, and initiatives of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Protection, and any other department or agency of State government or any local organization, as appropriate, that concern farming and farming operations that will enhance their efficiency or effectiveness or that will promote the expansion of farming and farm operations, and any other specific recommendations the ombudsman deems appropriate and necessary.
4. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture the sum of $250,000 in order to implement the provisions of this act.
5. The Department of Agriculture may adopt rules and regulations in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as appropriate to implement the provisions of this act.
6. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish the Office of the Farm Ombudsman in the Department of Agriculture. The purpose of the Office of the Farm Ombudsman would be to: (1) serve as a resource to provide information and support to farmers and prospective farmers regarding local, State, and federal laws and rules and regulations; (2) provide advice and assistance on the process of obtaining and renewing permits of any kind; (3) provide information, support, and assistance to farmers during declared federal or State states of emergency; (4) provide assistance, information, and advice to farmers and prospective farmers on plant and animal diseases and pests, land acquisition and expansion of farming operations, business planning, and climate issues; and (5) provide information, support, and assistance to farmers in grant application processes related to farming and farming operations.
In addition, the Farm Ombudsman would: (1) serve as a source of information and assistance for farmers and prospective farmers to navigate local, State, and federal laws and regulations governing agriculture and business; (2) provide information and support to farmers and prospective farmers in navigating the process of obtaining and renewing permits related to farming and farming operations; (3) provide assistance and support to farmers and prospective farmers facing issues in the agriculture and business sectors; (4) gather information from farmers and pr