S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  1146

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, SCHIMMINGER, DESTITO, FIELDS, MAGNARELLI,
  TITONE,  TOWNS, CLARK, DINOWITZ, ESPAILLAT, GALEF, GREENE, HYER-SPENC-
  ER, MILLMAN, PEOPLES, PHEFFER,  WRIGHT,  ALFANO,  SPANO,  ENGLEBRIGHT,
  COLTON,  ROSENTHAL, MARKEY, LUPARDO, CHRISTENSEN -- Multi-Sponsored by
  -- M. of A. ABBATE, BOYLAND, GLICK, GOTTFRIED, KOLB, McENENY,  SWEENEY
  -- read once and referred to the Committee on Tourism, Arts and Sports
  Development

AN  ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
  relation to creating the "Women's rights history trail" program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  The  parks,  recreation  and historic preservation law is
amended by adding a new article 42 to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 42
                  WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL PROGRAM
SECTION 42.01 LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
        42.03 DEFINITIONS.
        42.05 GENERAL FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONER.
  S 42.01 LEGISLATIVE  INTENT.  THE  LEGISLATURE  RECOGNIZES  THAT   THE
WOMEN'S  RIGHTS MOVEMENT IS ONE OF THE THREE GREAT PROTEST TRADITIONS IN
UNITED STATES HISTORY, SHARING THAT STATUS WITH THE STRUGGLE FOR  RACIAL
EQUALITY AND THE LABOR MOVEMENTS.
  THE  LEGISLATURE  FURTHER  RECOGNIZES THAT THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS MOVEMENT
HAS A STRONG TRADITION IN THE STATE.   IN  THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY  THE
STATE  WAS  AT  THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS MOVEMENT. ON JULY
19, 1848, A GROUP OF ACTIVISTS INCLUDING ELIZABETH CADY STANTON,  LUCRE-
TIA  MOTT  AND  MARY  ANN  M'CLINTOCK, CONVENED THE FIRST WOMEN'S RIGHTS
CONVENTION AT WESLEYAN CHAPEL IN SENECA FALLS. DURING THE CONVENTION, 68
WOMEN AND 32 MEN SIGNED THE DECLARATION  OF  SENTIMENTS  CALLING  FOR  A
BROAD  ARRAY OF RIGHTS FOR WOMEN, INCLUDING SUFFRAGE.  IN 1868, SUSAN B.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD01572-02-9

A. 1146                             2

ANTHONY HELPED TO FOUND THE AMERICAN EQUAL RIGHTS ASSOCIATION. IN  1890,
UNDER  HER  LEADERSHIP AND THE LEADERSHIP OF ELIZABETH CADY STANTON, THE
NATIONAL AMERICAN WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION (NAWSA) WAS FORMED.   NAWSA
WAS  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  SECURING  PASSAGE  OF  THE  19TH AMENDMENT, WHICH
AMENDED THE CONSTITUTION TO GIVE WOMEN  THE  RIGHT  TO  VOTE.  THE  19TH
AMENDMENT  WAS  PASSED  BY CONGRESS ON JUNE 4, 1919, AND WAS RATIFIED ON
AUGUST 18, 1920. SUSAN B. ANTHONY ALSO  CAMPAIGNED  FOR  THE  RIGHTS  OF
WOMEN  TO  OWN PROPERTY, TO KEEP THEIR OWN EARNINGS, AND TO HAVE CUSTODY
OF THEIR CHILDREN. IN 1900, SHE PERSUADED THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER TO
ADMIT WOMEN.  IN THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY  20TH  CENTURIES,  THE  WOMEN'S
MOVEMENT  EXPANDED TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN SHAPING POLICIES ON EDUCA-
TION, LEGAL REFORM, AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL WELFARE.    THE  LEGISLATURE
RECOGNIZES THAT THERE ARE MANY NOTABLE WOMEN IN THE STATE WHO FOUGHT FOR
WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE. IT IS THEREFORE THE INTENT OF THIS LEGISLATURE TO HAVE
CREATED A PROGRAM THAT WILL SYSTEMATICALLY IDENTIFY PROPERTIES AND SITES
FOR  INCLUSION  INTO  A  WOMEN'S  RIGHTS  HISTORY TRAIL.   BY CREATING A
WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL, THE STATE  WILL  ENCOURAGE  THE  EDUCATION
ABOUT  AND  AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE STATE IN THE
WOMEN'S RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO  HISTORY  AS  WELL  AS
ATTRACT  VISITORS  TO  THE  STATE AND ENHANCE THE STATE'S TOURISM TRADE.
FURTHER IT IS THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE TO ENSURE THAT  THE  WOMEN'S
RIGHTS  HISTORY  TRAIL IS ADEQUATELY SIGNED SO THAT TRAVELERS MAY FOLLOW
THE TRAIL INDEPENDENTLY AND WITH EASE.
  S 42.03 DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE THE FOLLOWING DEFINITIONS
SHALL APPLY:
  1. "WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL" SHALL MEAN A  SERIES  OF  PROPERTIES
AND  SITES  IDENTIFIED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER,  WHICH  MAY  BE LINKED BY
GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY AND ALIGNMENT AND THEMATIC AND  HISTORICAL  ASSOCI-
ATION WITH WOMEN'S RIGHTS.
  2.  "WOMEN'S  RIGHTS  HISTORY  PASSPORT" SHALL MEAN A BOOKLET OR OTHER
PUBLICATION THAT NAMES AND DESCRIBES THE PROPERTIES AND SITES IDENTIFIED
BY THE COMMISSIONER AND INCLUDED ON THE WOMEN'S  RIGHTS  HISTORY  TRAIL,
AND  MAY  INCLUDE DISCOUNTS AND OTHER INCENTIVES RELATED TO VISITING THE
PROPERTIES AND SITES ON THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL.
  S 42.05 GENERAL FUNCTIONS, POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE  COMMISSIONER.  1.
THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THE "WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY
TRAIL"  PROGRAM.  SUCH  PROGRAM SHALL PROMOTE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS OF
THE STRUGGLE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. THE COMMISSIONER, IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT  OF  TRANSPORTATION,
AND  ANY OTHER PROPERTIES OR SITES AS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND
ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL OR ENTITY, SHALL IDENTIFY  PROPERTIES  AND
SITES  THAT ARE HISTORICALLY AND THEMATICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRUG-
GLE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE TO BE PART OF THE TRAIL.
  2. THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL SHALL INCLUDE, BUT  SHALL  NOT  BE
LIMITED   TO,   PROPERTIES  AND  SITES  WHICH  TELL  THE  STORY  OF  THE
SEVENTY-TWO-YEAR FIGHT FOR WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE. THESE PROPERTIES AND  SITES
SHALL INCLUDE THE WOMEN'S NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY
BIRTHPLACE,  THE  ELIZABETH CADY STANTON HOUSES IN WASHINGTON COUNTY AND
SENECA FALLS, SITES ASSOCIATED WITH ELIZABETH CADY STANTON IN JOHNSTOWN,
WOODLAWN CEMETERY, SITES ASSOCIATED WITH CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT, THE GERRIT
AND ANN SMITH HOUSE, THE MATILDA JOSLYN  GAGE  HOUSE,  THE  HARRIET  MAY
MILLS HOUSE, THE HARRIET TUBMAN HOME, THE STONE STORE MUSEUM, THE SEWARD
HOUSE, SITES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SENECA FALLS WOMEN'S RIGHTS CONVENTION,
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SENECA FALLS, THE ONTARIO COUNTY COURT-
HOUSE,  THE  1816  FARMINGTON  QUAKER MEETINGHOUSE, THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY
HOUSE IN ROCHESTER, THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY CHILDHOOD  HOME  IN  WASHINGTON

A. 1146                             3

COUNTY,  THE  ALICE AUSTEN HOME IN THE BOROUGH OF STATEN ISLAND, BARNARD
COLLEGE IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, THE MICHIGAN STREET BAPTIST  CHURCH
IN BUFFALO, SITES ASSOCIATED WITH GRANDMA MOSES IN EASTON, AND ANY OTHER
PROPERTIES OR SITES AS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER.  THE COMMISSIONER
SHALL  DEVELOP THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL SO THAT IT IS RELATIVELY
SIMPLE AND EASY TO FOLLOW FOR PATRONS.
  3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CAUSE TO PRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE APPROPRIATE
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS REGARDING THE  TRAIL  ROUTE,  SUCH  AS  HANDBOOKS,
MAPS, EXHIBITS, SIGNS, INTERPRETIVE GUIDES, AND ELECTRONIC INFORMATION.
  4.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL CAUSE TO BE DEVELOPED VACATION ITINERARIES
BASED ON THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY  TRAIL,  WHICH  SHALL  IDENTIFY  FOR
VISITORS  SURROUNDING ATTRACTIONS, RESTAURANTS, FARMS, LODGING AND OTHER
EXHIBITS OR PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT AS MAY BE A PART OF  THE  HISTORICAL
THEME  LINKING  THE  PROPERTIES  AND SITES ON THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY
TRAIL.
  5. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL WORK TO DEVELOP DISCOUNT PACKAGES  FOR  SUCH
WOMEN'S  RIGHTS  HISTORY  TRAIL,  WHICH MAY INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
WOMEN'S RIGHTS  HISTORY  TRAIL  PASSPORT.  NOTHING  SHALL  PRECLUDE  THE
COMMISSIONER  FROM  CONTRACTING  WITH  AN INDEPENDENT VACATION OR TRAVEL
PACKAGE COMPANY TO HELP DEVELOP  VACATION  PACKAGES  ALONG  THE  WOMEN'S
RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL.
  6.  THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHALL COOPER-
ATE WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN CARRYING OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS  SECTION.
THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS AUTHORIZED TO
PERMIT THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SIGNS ON  THE  STATE  HIGHWAY
SYSTEM FOR TRAILS DESIGNATED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION. HOWEVER, TO AVOID
CONFUSION  AND  TO  LIMIT ANY POSSIBLE DISRUPTION OF COMMERCE, THE TRAIL
DESIGNATION CALLED FOR PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE OF A CEREMONIAL
NATURE AND THE OFFICIAL NAMES OF SUCH HIGHWAYS SHALL NOT BE CHANGED AS A
RESULT OF SUCH DESIGNATIONS.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.