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A09886 Summary:

BILL NOA09886
 
SAME ASSAME AS S07341
 
SPONSORSimon
 
COSPNSRSayegh, Mosley, Lentol, Colton, Jaffee, Hevesi, Epstein, Glick, Cook, Dickens, Galef
 
MLTSPNSRAbbate
 
Add §817, Ed L
 
Establishes a model environmental curriculum in all public elementary and secondary schools which shall include various principles and concepts including environmental justice.
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A09886 Actions:

BILL NOA09886
 
02/20/2020referred to education
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A09886 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A9886             Revised 2/24/20
 
SPONSOR: Simon
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a model environmental curriculum in all elementary and secondary schools   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This bill will require the commissioner of education to develop a model climate change climate change curriculum. All public elementary and secondary schools will be required to incorporate the model climate change curriculum to be taught as part of science, social studies, history, and health classes.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1: Requires the commissioner to create a model climate change curriculum that will include, but not my limited to, topics of air qual- ity, climate change, energy, environmental justice, sustainability, fishing and wildlife, forestry; oceans, pollution prevention, public health, water and toxics and chemicals. The environmental curricula will be incorporated into other course standards subjects and taught in English, Science, History, Social Studies and Health. The commissioner will make the model curriculum available to the public, and provide technical assistance for schools to incorporate it into their instruc- tion. The commissioner will Update the model curriculum every four years to reflect current understanding in scientific, social and technical knowledge.   JUSTIFICATION: Climate change is the existential threat of our time and will increas- ingly impact every facet of society and the physical environment. Rising temperatures, high levels of pollution, and climate-related storms and catastrophes lead to property damage, loss of life, and a growing public health crisis. No group is more .likely to bear the brunt of climate change than young people. It is critical to ensure that we are investing our best thinking into solutions to the climate crisis, by ensuring that future-leaders are educated in-:the science and social/historical causes of climate change, and how they will affect society and communities. This legislation requires that New York schools incorporate aspects of climate change education in almost every subject matter and every grade level, including science, history, social studies and English and liter- ature. Today's students will be tomorrow's future leaders tasked with addressing the global climate crisis, so ensuring they have a comprehen- sive education on the issue should be a key priority for the public school system.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it-shall have become a law.
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A09886 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          9886
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 20, 2020
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred 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
    25  and  be included in the following course subject's standards of instruc-
    26  tion, but not be limited to:
    27    a. Science;
    28    b. History;
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14561-02-9

        A. 9886                             2
 
     1    c. Social studies;
     2    d. Health; and
     3    e. Mathematics.
     4    3.  All  public  elementary and secondary schools shall begin teaching
     5  the model environmental curriculum established pursuant to this  section
     6  in  the  first  school  year following certification by the commissioner
     7  that such curriculum has been established.
     8    4.  a.  The  commissioner  shall  develop  age-appropriate  curriculum
     9  resources and technical assistance for schools to provide to students in
    10  all  elementary and secondary schools to carryout the provisions of this
    11  section.
    12    b. The department shall make the model curriculum and model curriculum
    13  resources publicly available electronically on the department's internet
    14  website.
    15    5. School authorities shall provide the needed  facilities,  time  and
    16  place  for  the  instruction set forth in this section and shall provide
    17  learning aids and curriculum  resource  materials  which  contribute  to
    18  effective  teaching  methods and learning in education in regards to the
    19  model environmental curriculum.
    20    6. a. The commissioner shall update the model environmental curriculum
    21  every four years following the establishment of such curriculum.
    22    b. Such update shall be based on  current  scientific,  technical  and
    23  social knowledge.
    24    §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
    25  the date on which it shall have become a law.
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