New York S 1344: Establishes the environmental sustainability education act

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S01344 Summary:

BILL NOS01344 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORPARKER

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COSPNSRBAILEY, HARCKHAM

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MLTSPNSR

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Requires the department of education to establish an education for environmental sustainability program to teach children the importance of conserving and protecting our environment.

Go to top S01344 Actions:

BILL NOS01344 

&nbsp

01/09/2025REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Go to topS01344 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01344 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS01344 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1344

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 9, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. PARKER, BAILEY, HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered
 printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environ-
 mental Conservation

 AN ACT establishing the New York state environmental sustainability
 education act

 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 "New York
 2 State Environmental Sustainability Education Act".
 3 § 2. Legislative findings. The legislature finds and declares that:
 4 1. In recognition of the United Nations Decade of Education for
 5 Sustainable Development (2005-2014), as declared at the Johannesburg
 6 Summit of 2002, New York state deems it imperative to develop and imple-
 7 ment an educational program geared towards improving the capacity of
 8 people to address environmental issues in the 21st century.
 9 2. Our ability to fulfill our responsibility to equip New York's citi-
 10 zens with the required knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to
 11 create a sustainable future and enhance our quality of life have never
 12 been more critical.
 13 3. More than any other time in recent history, New York's citizens
 14 have the capacity to dramatically affect their natural environment, and
 15 mitigate and possibly reverse our society's negative impact on our
 16 natural surroundings.
 17 4. New technologies and research have availed unparalleled opportu-
 18 nities for us to develop and protect resources in a manner that enables
 19 people to meet current needs, while also providing that future gener-
 20 ations can meet future needs.
 21 5. To successfully confront these environmental concerns and sensitiv-
 22 ities, we must put forth a vision of education that seeks to empower
 23 people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable
 24 future.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01356-01-5

 S. 1344 2

 1 § 3. Definitions. For the purposes of this act, the following words
 2 shall have the following meanings:
 3 1. "Sustainability" shall mean development that meets the needs of the
 4 present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
 5 their own needs. Development that occurs in such a way ensures the
 6 capacity of the natural environment to meet present and future needs.
 7 2. "Education for sustainability" (EFS) means to promote an under-
 8 standing of the interconnectedness of environment, economy and society.
 9 EFS links this understanding with inquiry and action to help students
 10 build a healthy future for their communities and for the planet. EFS
 11 fosters the ability to integrate scientific, economic and social know-
 12 ledge and makes education more pertinent to the changing world by moving
 13 beyond institutional boundaries of the disciplines and their content
 14 bias. EFS helps students identify their role in local communities and
 15 suggests ways to get involved. EFS shall consist of educational activ-
 16 ities and training activities involving elementary and secondary
 17 students (K-12), as such terms are defined in the education law and by
 18 environmental education personnel.
 19 § 4. Legislative directives and programs. 1. The department of educa-
 20 tion is hereby required to establish a model program to guide the devel-
 21 opment, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive environmental
 22 sustainability education program to be