S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10304
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 13, 2022
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Gunther) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
 
 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:
   (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;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02743-01-1
              

 A. 10304                            2
 
   (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, 2024. 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.