Requires that climate change and sustainability education be taught in elementary and high schools to educate pupils about how human activities cause climate change, the effects of climate change, the dangers associated with climate change and preventative measures that can be taken to alleviate the impacts of climate change.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A851
SPONSOR: Rosenthal L
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring climate
change and sustainability education in elementary and high schools
 
PURPOSE:
To achieve greater awareness of the impact of climate change and teach
students what steps can be taken to lessen it.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the education law by adding a new section 817.
Section two sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Climate change is occurring at an alarming rate and scientists around
the globe have pointed to human activity as a direct cause. Human activ-
ities including the burning of fossil fuels, urbanization and rapid
deforestation have all played a role in climate change. Should humans
continue such activities and not take steps to mitigate climate change,
temperatures on earth will continue to rise, we will see more drastic
changes in weather, including more frequent and severe storms, increased
droughts and heat waves, a rise in sea level, and more. The impact of
these changes will be disastrous and will cause the earth to become less
habitable as a result, particularly in coastal areas. While much of the
damage already caused is irreversible, changes in human behavior help
slow future effects climate change.
After historic flooding in Venice, Italy, it was announced that Italy
will become the first country to require climate change education in its
schools. Teaching young people around the world, whose generations will
likely see the most severe consequences of climate change, about meas-
ures they can take to help reverse the trend is necessary to preserving
our planet.
A 2019 NPR/Ipsos poll showed broad support among parents in the United
States for providing climate change education in schools, yet less than
half of the teachers who were polled on the topic said they teach
climate change in their own classrooms. New York State can become a
leader in helping mitigate the effects of climate change by requiring
climate change education in classrooms statewide, beginning in kinder-
garten.
This legislation will require all public and charter schools to teach a
climate change and sustainability curriculum to students in kindergarten
through 12th grade. This curriculum shall include how human activities
cause climate change, the effects and dangers of climate change, and
measures humans can take to alleviate the impact.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A.3468 - Referred to Education
2019-20: A.9150 - Referred to Education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Undetermined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This law shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
851
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 11, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring climate
change and sustainability education in elementary and high 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. Comprehensive climate change and sustainability education. 1.
4 The commissioner shall create and establish a comprehensive and accurate
5 climate change and sustainability curriculum which shall be taught in
6 grades kindergarten through twelve in all public and charter schools.
7 Such curriculum shall include instruction on how human activities cause
8 climate change, the effects of climate change, the dangers associated
9 with climate change and preventative measures that can be taken to alle-
10 viate the impacts of climate change.
11 2. The chancellor of the New York city school system, or a board of
12 education may adopt their own curriculum upon approval of the commis-
13 sioner, provided, however, that the commissioner shall not approve any
14 curriculum which does not substantially comply with the curriculum
15 created pursuant to subdivision one of this section.
16 3. Schools shall begin teaching the curriculum established pursuant to
17 this section in the first school year following certification by the
18 commissioner that such curriculum has been established.
19 4. 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 regarding climate
23 change and sustainability.
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.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01260-01-3