Bill Text: NY S07806 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs the commissioners of health and environmental conservation to study and develop a long term strategy to encourage and promote outdoor environmental education and recreational opportunities in New York state.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-06-16 - referred to ways and means [S07806 Detail]
Download: New_York-2015-S07806-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7806 IN SENATE May 12, 2016 ___________ Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation AN ACT to authorize and direct the commissioners of health and environ- mental conservation to study and develop a long-term strategy to encourage and promote outdoor environmental education and recreational opportunities in New York state The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature recognizes that in 2 the last two decades, childhood has moved indoors. The average American 3 boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes each day in unstructured 4 outdoor play, and more than seven hours each day in front of an elec- 5 tronic screen. The decline in the appreciation and prevalence of outdoor 6 recreation opportunities profoundly impacts the wellness of our state's 7 youth. The correlation between increasing childhood obesity rates and 8 the decline in outdoor recreation is undeniable. 9 Additionally, the legislature recognizes that visual and physical 10 access to basic types of open space is vital for everyone, and partic- 11 ularly valuable to children growing up in "urban hardscapes", or areas 12 where access to nature is limited. 13 The legislature further finds that the development of policies that 14 foster stewardship of the environment and recognition of the health 15 benefits of time spent in nature are essential to the residents of New 16 York state. The legislature concludes that this can best be accom- 17 plished by the creation of a study on outdoor environmental education 18 and recreation. 19 § 2. The commissioners of health and environmental conservation are 20 hereby authorized and directed to study and develop a long-term strategy 21 for integrating an aggressive outdoor environmental education and recre- 22 ation plan for children that focuses on creating, developing and retain- 23 ing opportunities for outdoor play and learning in New York state. Such 24 strategy shall be based on an analysis of the overall health of our 25 youth including the rise in childhood obesity rates, economic trends and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00989-01-5S. 7806 2 1 their impact on access to outdoor spaces as well as all other factors 2 necessary to develop a state-level blueprint for outdoor education and 3 recreating. Such strategy shall be developed in consultation with health 4 and environmental conservation advisory bodies created or authorized by 5 statute and such other organizations or persons as the commissioners 6 shall deem appropriate. Within one year of the effective date of this 7 act, the commissioners shall submit a report of their findings and 8 recommendations, including proposed legislation, if any, to the governor 9 and the legislature. 10 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
