Bill Text: NY A09886 | 2019-2020 | 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 13-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-20 - referred to education [A09886 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A09886-Introduced.html

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                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.