What's happening
This bill requires all New York public elementary and secondary schools to teach a model environmental curriculum focused on climate change and related topics.
Why it matters
Broadens student understanding of critical environmental issues. By mandating instruction on topics like environmental justice, pollution prevention, and resource conservation, the curriculum aims to equip students with a deeper awareness of the interconnected challenges facing their communities and the planet.
Integrates environmental education across multiple subjects. The requirement for the curriculum to be woven into science, history, social studies, health, and mathematics means students will encounter environmental concepts from diverse perspectives, reinforcing their relevance to everyday life and future careers.
Ensures up-to-date, age-appropriate learning. The bill mandates regular (every four years) updates to the curriculum based on current scientific and social knowledge, and requires the commissioner to provide age-appropriate resources, helping ensure students receive accurate, relevant, and accessible information.
Demands meaningful support and accountability from schools. By obligating schools to provide necessary facilities, instructional time, and learning materials, the bill seeks to ensure that environmental education is not an afterthought but a core element of the educational experience statewide.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Teach Climate in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to education
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.
Teach Climate in Schools
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Jo Anne Simon
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7341
IN SENATE
January 21, 2020
Introduced by Sen. GOUNARDES -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a model environmental curriculum in all elementary and secondary schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 817 to read as follows:
§ 817. Model environmental curriculum. 1. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to establish a model environmental curriculum on climate change to be taught in all public elementary and secondary schools. Such model environmental curriculum shall include, but not be limited to, the principles and concepts related to the following topics:
a. Air;
b. Climate change;
c. Energy;
d. Environmental justice;
e. Environmental sustainability;
f. Fish and wildlife resources;
g. Forestry;
h. Integrated pest management;
i. Oceans;
j. Pollution prevention;
k. Public health and the environment;
l. Resource conservation, waste reduction, and recycling;
m. Toxics and hazardous waste; and
n. Water.
2. The model environmental curriculum shall be aligned with other course subject standards of instruction as set forth by the department and be included in the following course subject's standards of instruction, but not be limited to:
a. Science;
b. History;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14561-02-9
S. 7341 2
c. Social studies;
d. Health; and
e. Mathematics.
3. All public elementary and secondary schools shall begin teaching the model environmental curriculum established pursuant to this section in the first school year following certification by the commissioner that such curriculum has been established.
4. a. The commissioner shall develop age-appropriate curriculum resources and technical assistance for schools to provide to students in all elementary and secondary schools to carryout the provisions of this section.
b. The department shall make the model curriculum and model curriculum resources publicly available electronically on the department's internet website.
5. School authorities shall provide the needed facilities, time and place for the instruction set forth in this section and shall provide learning aids and curriculum resource materials which contribute to effective teaching methods and learning in education in regards to the model environmental curriculum.
6. a. The commissioner shall update the model environmental curriculum every four years following the establishment of such curriculum.
b. Such update shall be based on current scientific, technical and social knowledge.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a model environmental curriculum in all elementary and secondary schools
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill will require the commissioner of education to develop a model climate change climate change curriculum. All public elementary and secondary schools will be required to incorporate the model climate change curriculum to be taught as part of science, social studies, history, and health classes.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Requires the commissioner to create a model climate change curriculum that will include, but not my limited to, topics of air qual- ity, climate change, energy, environmental justice, sustainability, fishing and wildlife, forestry, oceans, pollution prevention, public health, water and toxics and chemicals. The environmental curricula will be incorporated into other course standards subjects and taught in English, Science, History, Social Studies and Health. The commissioner will make the model curriculum available to the public, and provide technical assistance for schools to incorporate it into their instruc- tion. The commissioner will update the model curriculum every four years to reflect current understanding in scientific, social and technical knowledge.
Justification
Climate change is the existential threat of our time and will increas- ingly impact every facet of society and the physical environment. Rising temperatures, high levels of pollution, and climate-related storms and catastrophes lead to property damage, loss of life, and a growing public health crisis. No group is more likely to bear the brunt of climate change than young people. It is critical to ensure that we are investing our best thinking into solutions to the climate crisis, by ensuring that future leaders are educated in the science and social/historical causes of climate change, and how they will affect society and communities. This legislation requires that New York schools incorporate aspects of climate change education in almost every subject matter and every grade level, including science, history, social studies and English and liter- ature. Today's students will be tomorrow's future leaders tasked with addressing the global climate crisis, so ensuring they have a comprehen- sive education on the issue should be a key priority for the public school system.
Prior legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.