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

                                 1171--A

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 9, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. GUNTHER, ROBINSON, CROUCH, LUPARDO, ENGLEBRIGHT,
  ROBERTS, JAFFEE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of  A.  BARCLAY,  BOYLAND,
  FINCH,  HAWLEY,  RIVERA, SALADINO, TITONE -- read once and referred to
  the Committee on Environmental  Conservation  --  recommitted  to  the
  Committee  on  Environmental  Conservation in accordance with Assembly
  Rule  3,  sec.  2  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT creating a legislative task force on outdoor environmental educa-
  tion  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  ASSEM-
BLY, 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 Ameri-
can  boy  or girl spends just four to seven minutes each day in unstruc-
tured 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 valu-
able 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

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

                                                           LBD01646-03-4

A. 1171--A                          2

legislature concludes that this can best be accomplished by the creation
of a task force on outdoor environmental education and recreation.
  S  2.  Objectives.  A  legislative task force on outdoor environmental
education and recreation is hereby established to:
  (a) Promote the development of a framework that will ensure  that  New
York  state has an aggressive outdoor environmental education and recre-
ation plan for children that focuses on creating, developing and retain-
ing 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  educa-
tional  institutions develop policies and programs that promote environ-
mental 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  facili-
tate,  or at least do not hinder, the growth of outdoor play or environ-
mental education.
  S 3. Composition. The task force shall consist of twelve members.  The
task  force members will have experience and expertise in outdoor recre-
ation 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 conser-
vation  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 organiza-
tion.  One  member  shall  be a representative from a nonprofit environ-
mental 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.
  S 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, 2017. The task force  may  develop
and  publish  other  documents throughout the year as it deems necessary
and/or appropriate.
  S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.