N.Y. Public Health Law § 3900: Legislative findings and purposes

§ 3900. Legislative findings and purposes. 1. The legislature hereby

finds, determines, and declares that promotion of the continued health

and safety of New York state's farming community continues to be an

unmet need. It further finds that agriculture is ranked as the most

dangerous occupation on a nationwide basis and that farmers and other

agricultural workers are injured and killed at a rate four times greater

than other workers in the country: in nineteen hundred eighty-five,

forty-five deaths and over four thousand farm-related injuries were

reported within New York state.

2. The provision of health and safety services unique to the

agricultural sector has been seen by many physicians as relatively

unattractive. As a consequence, the medical profession lacks specific

knowledge of, and expertise in, treating farm illnesses. While some

progress has been made to date in the area of farm health and safety,

more work is needed to address such specific concerns as traumatic

injury, hearing loss, and occupational cancer. Further efforts need to

be made to provide educational programs to improve awareness of

agricultural health concerns, and to enhance delivery of targeted

agricultural health services in the state.

3. It is vital that the state of New York develop a capability to

address the special health and safety needs of the state's farming

community. In order to facilitate a focus on agricultural medicine and

health, the legislature hereby determines that there is a need to create

a New York state center for agricultural medicine and health to operate

in conjunction with the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, New

York.