The New York State Senate

                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  9886

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            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:

  Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 817 to
read as follows:
  § 817. MODEL  ENVIRONMENTAL  CURRICULUM.  1.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL
PROMULGATE  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  TO  ESTABLISH A MODEL ENVIRONMENTAL
CURRICULUM ON CLIMATE CHANGE TO BE TAUGHT IN ALL PUBLIC  ELEMENTARY  AND
SECONDARY  SCHOOLS.  SUCH  MODEL ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUM SHALL INCLUDE,
BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO,  THE  PRINCIPLES  AND  CONCEPTS  RELATED  TO  THE
FOLLOWING TOPICS:
  A. AIR;
  B. CLIMATE CHANGE;
  C. ENERGY;
  D. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE;
  E. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY;
  F. FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES;
  G. FORESTRY;
  H. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT;
  I. OCEANS;
  J. POLLUTION PREVENTION;
  K. PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT;
  L. RESOURCE CONSERVATION, WASTE REDUCTION, AND RECYCLING;
  M. TOXICS AND HAZARDOUS WASTE; AND
  N. WATER.
  2.  THE  MODEL  ENVIRONMENTAL  CURRICULUM  SHALL BE ALIGNED WITH OTHER
COURSE SUBJECT STANDARDS OF INSTRUCTION AS SET FORTH BY  THE  DEPARTMENT
AND  BE INCLUDED IN THE FOLLOWING COURSE SUBJECT'S STANDARDS OF INSTRUC-
TION, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
  A. SCIENCE;
  B. HISTORY;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD14561-02-9

A. 9886                             2

  C. SOCIAL STUDIES;
  D. HEALTH; AND
  E. MATHEMATICS.
  3.  ALL  PUBLIC  ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS SHALL BEGIN TEACHING
THE MODEL ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS  SECTION
IN  THE  FIRST  SCHOOL  YEAR FOLLOWING CERTIFICATION BY THE COMMISSIONER
THAT SUCH CURRICULUM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
  4.  A.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  DEVELOP  AGE-APPROPRIATE  CURRICULUM
RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE TO STUDENTS IN
ALL  ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO CARRYOUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
SECTION.
  B. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE THE MODEL CURRICULUM AND MODEL CURRICULUM
RESOURCES PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY ON THE DEPARTMENT'S INTERNET
WEBSITE.
  5. SCHOOL AUTHORITIES SHALL PROVIDE THE NEEDED  FACILITIES,  TIME  AND
PLACE  FOR  THE  INSTRUCTION SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION AND SHALL PROVIDE
LEARNING AIDS AND CURRICULUM  RESOURCE  MATERIALS  WHICH  CONTRIBUTE  TO
EFFECTIVE  TEACHING  METHODS AND LEARNING IN EDUCATION IN REGARDS TO THE
MODEL ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUM.
  6. A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL UPDATE THE MODEL ENVIRONMENTAL CURRICULUM
EVERY FOUR YEARS FOLLOWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH CURRICULUM.
  B. SUCH UPDATE SHALL BE BASED ON  CURRENT  SCIENTIFIC,  TECHNICAL  AND
SOCIAL KNOWLEDGE.
  §  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.