What's happening
This bill creates a legislative task force to promote outdoor environmental education and recreation for children in New York State.
Why it matters
Seeks to address childhood health and wellness. by responding to trends of increasing indoor time and screen use among children, which have been linked to rising obesity rates and reduced physical and mental well-being.
Focuses on equity and access. by prioritizing programs that provide safe outdoor opportunities for children from urban and underserved communities, aiming to close gaps for those with limited access to nature.
Promotes cross-sector collaboration. by bringing together state agencies, health and environmental nonprofits, and legislative appointees, ensuring a diverse set of perspectives and expertise in developing statewide strategies.
May influence future policy and funding. by evaluating current laws and recommending changes, potentially shaping how outdoor education and recreation are supported in New York’s schools, communities, and government agencies.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
- Likely support
Urban, underserved and at-risk children
The task force would support safe access to open spaces, summer camps and outdoor learning opportunities for these children.
K-12 schools
The task force would develop strategies encouraging schools to adopt environmental education programs and policies that promote outdoor play.
Community-based nonprofits and summer camp providers
The task force would develop strategies to help nonprofits expand summer camp and out-of-school outdoor recreation or education programs.
State education, health, environmental conservation and parks agencies
Their commissioners or designees would serve on the task force, which would evaluate laws, rules and procedures affecting outdoor play and environmental education.
Headline styles
Create Outdoor Education Task Force
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
7 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Referred to environmental conservation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Create Outdoor Education Task Force
In Senate Committee · Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks And Recreation · Sponsor Michael H. Ranzenhofer
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3770
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER, LUPARDO, ENGLEBRIGHT, JAFFEE, PERRY, OTIS, PEOPLES-STOKES, CROUCH -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, FINCH, HAWLEY, McDONOUGH, RIVERA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT creating a legislative task force on outdoor environmental education and recreation that will benefit residents of New York state by stewardship and conservation of the environment, an appreciation of the importance of the wise use of natural resources as well as acknowledgment of the health benefits of time spent in nature
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings. (a) The legislature hereby finds that in the last two decades, childhood has moved indoors. The average American boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes each day in unstructured outdoor play, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen. The decline in the appreciation and prevalence of outdoor recreation opportunities profoundly impacts the wellness of our state's youth. The correlation between increasing childhood obesity rates and the decline in outdoor recreation is undeniable.
(b) The legislature further finds that visual and physical access to basic types of open space is vital for everyone, and particularly valuable to children growing up in "urban hardscapes", or areas where access to nature is limited.
(c) The legislature further finds that the development of policies that foster stewardship of the environment, the importance of the wise use of natural resources and recognition of the health benefits of time spent in nature are essential to the residents of New York state. The legislature concludes that this can best be accomplished by the creation of a task force on outdoor environmental education and recreation.
§ 2. Objectives. A legislative task force on outdoor environmental education and recreation is hereby established to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01162-01-9
A. 3770 2
(a) Promote the development of a framework that will ensure that New York state has an aggressive outdoor environmental education and recreation plan for children that focuses on creating, developing and retaining opportunities for outdoor play and learning;
(b) Identify and support programs which offer safe access to open spaces and summer camp to children from urban areas;
(c) Promote the development of policy recommendations to ensure that New York's public and private sectors focus on creating opportunities for underserved and at-risk children to participate in outdoor play and educational experiences;
(d) Promote the development of strategies to ensure that K-12 educational institutions develop policies and programs that promote environmental education to encourage outdoor play thereby improving public health and take advantage of the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of moving outdoors in nature;
(e) Promote the development of strategies to assist community based, nonprofit organizations in furthering programs that provide for summer camp and out of school time opportunities for outdoor recreation or education;
(f) Evaluate laws, rules, and procedures to ensure that they facilitate, or at least do not hinder, the growth of outdoor play or environmental education.
§ 3. Composition. The task force shall consist of twelve members. The task force members will have experience and expertise in outdoor recreation and environmental education. The task force shall consist of: the commissioner of education or his or her designee, the commissioner of health or his or her designee, the commissioner of environmental conservation or his or her designee, the commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation or his or her designee. One member shall be a representative from a nonprofit health and wellness organization. One member shall be a representative from a nonprofit environmental conservation organization. Two members shall be appointed by the governor; one member to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; one member to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; and one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. The task force shall be appointed for a term of two years.
§ 4. Report. The task force shall report its findings, conclusions and recommendations to the governor, majority leader of the senate and the speaker of the assembly by January 1, 2022. The task force may develop and publish other documents throughout the year as it deems necessary and/or appropriate.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.