S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4626
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 23, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RANZENHOFER -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the  Committee  on  Cultural  Affairs,
   Tourism, Parks and Recreation
 
 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
 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.
                                                            LBD02567-01-7
              

 S. 4626                             2
 
   (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.
   §  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.
   § 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, 2020. 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.