Bill Text: NY S06706 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Establishes the outdoor Rx act; requires the division of veterans' services to review issues relating to veterans' abilities to access state parks, lands and facilities; and provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-11-11 - signed chap.282 [S06706 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S06706-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         6706--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                   September 11, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. BENJAMIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules  --  recommitted  to
          the  Committee  on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs in
          accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 --  committee  discharged,  bill
          amended,  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
          tee

        AN ACT requiring the division of veterans'  services  to  review  issues
          relating  to  veterans'  abilities  to  access  state parks, lands and
          facilities; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expi-
          ration thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "outdoor Rx
     2  act".
     3    § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby finds and
     4  declares  that  protecting the physical, mental and behavioral health of
     5  veterans is critical to ensure successful re-entry into  civilian  life.
     6  Studies  have shown that time outdoors can be a valuable adjunct therapy
     7  in addition to more traditional health care, while also  reducing  reli-
     8  ance  on prescription medication. The therapeutic benefits of time spent
     9  outdoors is clinically proven  and  is  known  to  help  reduce  stress,
    10  improve concentration, and promote overall well-being, both physical and
    11  mental.  Outdoor-based  therapeutic programs hold particular promise for
    12  people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress  Disorder,  Military  Sexual
    13  Trauma,  Traumatic  Brain  Injury,  and Substance Use Disorders. Outdoor
    14  programs including adventure therapy, wilderness therapy,  horticultural
    15  therapy,  walk-and-talk  therapy,  and  other nature-based programs, are
    16  currently being used by mental health professionals  and  are  shown  to
    17  have  benefits  including reduction of stress, restoration of attention,
    18  and an improved sense of well-being. New York state is home  to  natural
    19  beauty from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, and has a significant

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13082-06-9

        S. 6706--A                          2

     1  amount  of  open  space,  including  the  Adirondack and Catskill parks.
     2  Recognizing the healing benefits of outdoor-based  therapeutic  programs
     3  to  residents of the state, particularly veterans and individuals recov-
     4  ering  from substance abuse or a physical or mental trauma, the legisla-
     5  ture supports the establishment of an outdoor Rx act.
     6    § 3. 1. The director of the division of veterans' services  shall,  in
     7  consultation with the office of parks, recreation and historic preserva-
     8  tion,  the  department  of environmental conservation, the department of
     9  health, and the office of mental health, review:
    10    a. barriers that exist to provide veterans with  increased  access  to
    11  state  lands  and  opportunities  for medical treatment and nature-based
    12  therapy and programming, including barriers to transportation,  handicap
    13  accessibility,  cultural  barriers, mental health stigmas, public aware-
    14  ness of state outdoor resources, lack of experience in the outdoors, and
    15  funding for public and private programs;
    16    b. current state policies regarding  free  and  discounted  access  to
    17  state  parks,  lands,  and recreational facilities by veterans, service-
    18  connected disabled veterans, gold star families, and other military-con-
    19  nected individuals;
    20    c. opportunities to formalize coordination  between  the  division  of
    21  veterans'  services,  other  state  agencies,  and partner organizations
    22  regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces to  facilitate
    23  access, medical treatment and nature-based therapy for veterans;
    24    d.  state  lands,  based  on veterans' demographics including, but not
    25  limited to, service-connected disabled veterans, that should  be  prior-
    26  itized for access;
    27    e.  recommendations, following consultation with appropriate veterans'
    28  outdoor recreation groups, to reduce barriers and better facilitate  the
    29  use  of  state  owned  and  managed lands for access, preventative care,
    30  medical treatment, and nature-based therapy; and
    31    f. estimated costs of implementing such recommendations and  expanding
    32  access/benefits,  as  well as potential funding sources, including state
    33  funding and public-private partnership opportunities.
    34    2. Following such review, which shall be completed no later  than  six
    35  months  from  the  effective date of this act, the division of veterans'
    36  services shall submit findings to the governor, the temporary  president
    37  of  the  senate, the speaker of the assembly, the minority leader of the
    38  senate, the minority leader of the assembly, the chair of  the  assembly
    39  committee on veterans' affairs, and the chair of the senate committee on
    40  veterans,  homeland  security,  and military affairs.  Information shall
    41  also be posted in a timely manner on the division of veterans' services'
    42  website and a link to such document  shall  also  be  available  on  the
    43  websites  of  the  office of parks, recreation and historic preservation
    44  and the department of environmental conservation.
    45    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    46  deemed repealed December 31, 2022.
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