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UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 214/EN
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SB021420.100 - 2180 - XXXX 4/15/2026 4:40 PM Engrossed
AN ACT relating to agriculture and declaring an emergency. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 246.055 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) The Department of Agriculture may accept federal aid, nonfederal funds and 4
grants, gifts, donations, or devises[. The Department of Agriculture is authorized in 5
its discre tion to accept the provisions of any Act of Congress appropriating, 6
granting, or apportioning funds or commodities to the state for use in connection 7
with any program of the Department of Agriculture. The Commissioner shall 8
prescribe for the proper apporti onment and distribution of these funds, property or 9
commodities in accordance with the state and federal laws]. 10
(2) For use in connection with any program of the department and for the benefit of 11
programs under its control and supervision, the department i s authorized to do 12
any of the following: 13
(a) Accept provisions of any Act of Congress appropriating, granting, or 14
apportioning funds or commodities to the state; 15
(b) Receive funds appropriated by the General Assembly, or from any other 16
source identified in subsection (1) of this section; 17
(c) Provide for the proper apportionment and disbursement of such funds in 18
accordance with state or federal laws; or 19
(d) Accept and provide for the administration of any nonfederal funds or 20
grants, gifts, donations, or devises from any source public or private. 21
(3)[(2)] The Commissioner of Agriculture may enter into any agreement and carry out 22
the terms of such agreement with any depar tment of the federal government , or 23
state or local public agency, to handle funds, commodities or any devise under any 24
program assigned to or handled by the Department of Agriculture. 25
SECTION 2. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAP TER 247 IS CREATED TO 26
READ AS FOLLOWS: 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 214/EN
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SB021420.100 - 2180 - XXXX 4/15/2026 4:40 PM Engrossed
(1) As used in this section: 1
(a) "Extension service" includes the University of Kentucky Cooperative 2
Extension Service or the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension 3
Service; 4
(b) "Initiative" means the Kentuck y Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative 5
established in this section; 6
(c) "Program" means any educational program that is part of the initiative; 7
and 8
(d) "Urban county" means a county with a population of one hundred fifty 9
thousand (150,000) or more according to the most recent federal decennial 10
census. 11
(2) There is hereby established the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative, 12
which shall be administered by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension 13
Service and the Kentucky State University Cooperat ive Extension Service and 14
their individual offices within the Commonwealth in partnership with other 15
organizations as appropriate. Beginning January 1, 2027, the extension service 16
shall initiate a pilot program in one (1) or more individual offices. Beginn ing 17
September 1, 2027, and as funding allows, the extension service may begin full 18
implementation and evaluation of the pilot program in all appropriate offices 19
throughout the Commonwealth, with potential program scaling and expansion to 20
begin September 1, 2028. 21
(3) The initiative shall: 22
(a) Promote farming, agriculture, agribusiness, and the efficient use of land in 23
urban counties; 24
(b) Educate program participants on all aspects of farming, agriculture, and 25
agribusiness in an urban environment and encourage the adoption of urban 26
agriculture best practices; 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS SB 214/EN
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SB021420.100 - 2180 - XXXX 4/15/2026 4:40 PM Engrossed
(c) Develop participants' skills and knowledge to become informed agriculture 1
consumers and advocates; and 2
(d) Advance age -appropriate, experiential, or work -ready agricultural and 3
agribusiness programmin g, including formal internships and 4
apprenticeships. 5
(4) The length of each program term shall be one (1) year and each term shall begin 6
in September on a date specified by each extension service. Programs shall be 7
available to applicants at each extension service office located within or serving 8
an urban county of the Commonwealth. An office may work with an existing 9
state or local agricultural organization to better provide for the administration of 10
a program and the initiative. 11
(5) Each extension service office administering a program shall accept and review 12
applications from eligible applicants. Program participation shall be at the 13
discretion of each office and shall include as many participants as is practicable 14
on an annual basis. To be eligible to participate in a program, a participant shall: 15
(a) Be at least five (5) years of age and no more than eighteen (18) years of age; 16
(b) Have obtained parent or guardian permission to participate in accordance 17
with the extension service's youth protection policies; and 18
(c) Be available to participate in the program for the full duration of the term. 19
Section 3. Whereas under the Department of Agriculture's current authority, the 20
department is unable to apply for several availab le privately funded grants that, if 21
awarded, would greatly impact agriculture in the Commonwealth, an emergency is 22
declared to exist, and this Act takes effect upon its passage and approval by the Governor 23
or upon its otherwise becoming a law. 24