S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  8604

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            December 2, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  RICHARDSON  -- read once and referred to the
  Committee on Tourism, Parks, 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.
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

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08524-01-5
              

A. 8604                             2

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 TRANSPORTATION, AND ANY OTHER PROP-
ERTIES  OR SITES AS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND ANY LOCAL GOVERN-
MENT OFFICIAL OR ENTITY, SHALL IDENTIFY PROPERTIES AND  SITES  THAT  ARE
HISTORICALLY  AND  THEMATICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRUGGLE 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
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.

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  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 TRANSPORTATION SHALL COOPERATE WITH THE OFFICE
IN CARRYING OUT THE PROVISIONS OF  THIS  SECTION.  THE  COMMISSIONER  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.