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.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3019
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 19, 2017
___________
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-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02787-01-7
S. 3019 2
1 ing opportunities for outdoor play and learning in New York state. Such
2 strategy shall be based on an analysis of the overall health of our
3 youth including the rise in childhood obesity rates, economic trends and
4 their impact on access to outdoor spaces as well as all other factors
5 necessary to develop a state-level blueprint for outdoor education and
6 recreating. Such strategy shall be developed in consultation with health
7 and environmental conservation advisory bodies created or authorized by
8 statute and such other organizations or persons as the commissioners
9 shall deem appropriate. Within one year of the effective date of this
10 act, the commissioners shall submit a report of their findings and
11 recommendations, including proposed legislation, if any, to the governor
12 and the legislature.
13 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
