S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1377
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  SERRANO,  COONEY, HINCHEY, JACKSON, MAY, ROLISON,
   WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be commit-
   ted to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,  Parks  and  Recre-
   ation
 
 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  child  spends  just  four to seven minutes each day in unstructured
 outdoor play, and more than seven hours each day in front  of  an  elec-
 tronic 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.
                                                            LBD03041-01-5
              

 S. 1377                             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.  a. Composition. The task force shall consist of twelve members.
 The task force members will have experience  and  expertise  in  outdoor
 recreation and environmental education. The task force shall consist of:
 the  commissioner  of  education  or  such  commissioner's designee, the
 commissioner of health or such commissioner's designee, the commissioner
 of environmental  conservation  or  such  commissioner's  designee,  the
 commissioner  of  the office of parks, recreation and historic preserva-
 tion or such commissioner's designee. One member shall  be  a  represen-
 tative  from  a  nonprofit  health and wellness organization. One member
 shall be a representative from a  nonprofit  environmental  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.
   b. The commissioner of the office of parks,  recreation  and  historic
 preservation or such commissioner's designee shall serve as chair of the
 task force.
   c.  The  members  of  the task force shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to this act.
   § 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, 2028. 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.