N.Y. PBH Law § 3900

§ 3900. Legislative findings and purposes. 1. The legislature hereby\nfinds, determines, and declares that promotion of the continued health\nand safety of New York state's farming community continues to be an\nunmet need. It further finds that agriculture is ranked as the most\ndangerous occupation on a nationwide basis and that farmers and other\nagricultural workers are injured and killed at a rate four times greater\nthan other workers in the country: in nineteen hundred eighty-five,\nforty-five deaths and over four thousand farm-related injuries were\nreported within New York state.\n 2. The provision of health and safety services unique to the\nagricultural sector has been seen by many physicians as relatively\nunattractive. As a consequence, the medical profession lacks specific\nknowledge of, and expertise in, treating farm illnesses. While some\nprogress has been made to date in the area of farm health and safety,\nmore work is needed to address such specific concerns as traumatic\ninjury, hearing loss, and occupational cancer. Further efforts need to\nbe made to provide educational programs to improve awareness of\nagricultural health concerns, and to enhance delivery of targeted\nagricultural health services in the state.\n 3. It is vital that the state of New York develop a capability to\naddress the special health and safety needs of the state's farming\ncommunity. In order to facilitate a focus on agricultural medicine and\nhealth, the legislature hereby determines that there is a need to create\na New York state center for agricultural medicine and health to operate\nin conjunction with the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, New\nYork.\n