The New York State Senate

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

                                 6706--A

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                           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:

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

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