Bill Text: NY S01081 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes a model environmental curriculum in all public elementary and secondary schools which shall include various principles and concepts including environmental justice.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-05 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S01081 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-S01081-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          1081

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     January 6, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens. GOUNARDES, ADDABBO, KRUEGER, SALAZAR -- read twice
          and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
          on Education

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing  a  model
          environmental curriculum in all elementary and secondary schools

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 817 to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 817. Model  environmental  curriculum.  1.  The  commissioner  shall
     4  promulgate  rules  and  regulations  to  establish a model environmental
     5  curriculum on climate change to be taught in all public  elementary  and
     6  secondary  schools.  Such  model environmental curriculum shall include,
     7  but not be limited to,  the  principles  and  concepts  related  to  the
     8  following topics:
     9    a. Air;
    10    b. Climate change;
    11    c. Energy;
    12    d. Environmental justice;
    13    e. Environmental sustainability;
    14    f. Fish and wildlife resources;
    15    g. Forestry;
    16    h. Integrated pest management;
    17    i. Oceans;
    18    j. Pollution prevention;
    19    k. Public health and the environment;
    20    l. Resource conservation, waste reduction, and recycling;
    21    m. Toxics and hazardous waste; and
    22    n. Water.
    23    2.  The  model  environmental  curriculum  shall be aligned with other
    24  course subject standards of instruction as set forth by  the  department

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01133-01-1
        S. 1081                             2

     1  and  be included in the following course subject's standards of instruc-
     2  tion, but not be limited to:
     3    a. Science;
     4    b. History;
     5    c. Social studies;
     6    d. Health; and
     7    e. Mathematics.
     8    3.  All  public  elementary and secondary schools shall begin teaching
     9  the model environmental curriculum established pursuant to this  section
    10  in  the  first  school  year following certification by the commissioner
    11  that such curriculum has been established.
    12    4.  a.  The  commissioner  shall  develop  age-appropriate  curriculum
    13  resources and technical assistance for schools to provide to students in
    14  all  elementary and secondary schools to carryout the provisions of this
    15  section.
    16    b. The department shall make the model curriculum and model curriculum
    17  resources publicly available electronically on the department's internet
    18  website.
    19    5. School authorities shall provide the needed  facilities,  time  and
    20  place  for  the  instruction set forth in this section and shall provide
    21  learning aids and curriculum  resource  materials  which  contribute  to
    22  effective  teaching  methods and learning in education in regards to the
    23  model environmental curriculum.
    24    6. a. The commissioner shall update the model environmental curriculum
    25  every four years following the establishment of such curriculum.
    26    b. Such update shall be based on  current  scientific,  technical  and
    27  social knowledge.
    28    §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
    29  the date on which it shall have become a law.