NY State Senate Bill S278

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (1)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 04, 2023	referred to education

Co-Sponsors

S278 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1559
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §817, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S7341, A9886
2021-2022: S1081, A2325

S278 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a model environmental curriculum in all public elementary and secondary schools which shall include various principles and concepts including environmental justice.

S278 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S278

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a model
environmental curriculum in all elementary and secondary schools

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require the commissioner of education to develop a model climate
change climate change curriculum. All public elementary and secondary
schools will be required to incorporate the model climate change curric-
ulum to be taught as part of science, social studies, history, and
health classes

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Requires the commissioner to create a model climate change
curriculum that will include, but not be limited to, topics of air qual-
ity, climate change, energy, environmental justice, sustainability,
health, water, and toxins and chemicals. The environmental curricula

will be incorporated into other course standards subjects and taught in
English, Science, History, Social Studies, and Health. The commissioner
will make the model curriculum available to the public and provide tech-
nical assistance for schools to incorporate it into their instruction.
The commissioner will update the model curriculum every four years to
reflect current understanding of scientific, social, and technical know-
ledge.

Section 2. Establishes the effective date

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Climate change is the existential threat of our time and will increas-
ingly impact every facet of society and the physical environment. Rising
temperatures, high levels of pollution, and climate-related storms and
catastrophes lead to property damage, loss of life, and a growing public
health crisis.

No group is more likely to bear the brunt of climate change than young
people. It is critical to ensure that we are investing our best thinking
into solutions to the climate crisis, by ensuring that future leaders
are educated in the science and social/historical causes of climate
change, and how they will affect society and communities.

This legislation requires that New York schools incorporate aspects of
climate change education in almost every subject matter and every grade
level, including science, history, social studies and English and liter-
ature. Today's students will be tomorrow's future leaders tasked with
addressing the global climate crisis, so ensuring they have a comprehen-
sive education on the issue should be a key priority for the public
school system.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S1081 - Referred to Education

2021:  S1081 - Referred to Education
2020: S7431 - Referred to Education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.

S278 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    278
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  GOUNARDES,  ADDABBO, BRISPORT, HARCKHAM, HOYLMAN,
   KRUEGER, SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and  when  printed
   to be committed 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.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02220-01-3

 S. 278                              2

   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;
   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.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S278

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

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Co-Sponsors

S278 (ACTIVE) - Details

S278 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S278 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S278 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S278

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Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Your Voice

Actions

Co-Sponsors

S278 (ACTIVE) - Details

S278 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S278 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S278 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments