AB 988, as introduced, Mark Stone. Outdoor Environmental Education and Recreation Grants Program.
Existing law authorizes the expenditure of state funds for local assistance grants to cities, counties, and districts for the acquisition and development of various park and recreational areas and facilities. Existing law, the State Urban Parks and Healthy Communities Act, requires the Director of Parks and Recreation, in consultation with the State Department of Education, to develop a competitive grant program to assist state parks, state conservancies in existence as of January 1, 2003, urbanized and heavily urbanized local agencies, and community-based organizations within those jurisdictions, to provide outdoor educational opportunities to children.
This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to establish, on or before March 30, 2016, an Outdoor Environmental Education and Recreation Grants Program with the purpose of increasing the ability of underserved and at-risk populations to participate in outdoor recreation and educational experiences by awarding grants to public organizations, nonprofit organizations, or both. In developing the program, the bill would require the director to ensure that the program meets the criteria of the State Urban Parks and Healthy Communities Act and would require the director to administer the program to ensure that priority is given to underserved populations, as specified. The bill would permit the director to develop an advisory task force to assist in the development of the program and would require the director to give priority funding to outdoor environmental education and recreation programs that have specified attributes.
This bill would authorize the director to accept private donations made for the support of the program and would authorize the director to solicit and accept private funding sources to help supplement the costs of the program. The bill would require that all moneys received for the purposes of the program be deposited into the California Youth Outdoor Education Account, which would be created by the bill and would be continuously appropriated for purposes of the program, thereby making an appropriation.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(1) Park access, outdoor education, and outdoor recreational
4experiences are important to the health and well-being of all
5California citizens as well as the continuing stewardship of our
6natural resources. Many California communities, however, lack
7equitable access to parks and other open-space areas. This lack of
8access to the outdoors contributes to higher incidences of certain
9health ailments, such as diabetes, hypertension, and nature deficit
10disorder, and other negative social indicators, especially in
11low-income communities.
12(2) According to the recent Parks Forward Commission report,
13
improving access to parks, outdoor experiences, and recreational
14opportunities, particularly for youth and young adults in
15disadvantaged communities, will lead to more healthy lifestyles,
16better educational outcomes, and improvements to the overall
17well-being of California citizens, communities, and our natural
18environment.
19(3) The Legislature enacted Chapter 663 of the Statutes of 2003,
20which established the Outdoor Environmental Education Program
21and required a study on the benefits of outdoor environmental
P3 1education for at-risk youth and underserved demographic groups.
2The study found that the science test scores of children who
3participated in the program were raised by 27 percent, and that
4these children also had improved conflict resolution and problem
5solving skills, better self-esteem, and were more motivated to learn.
6The program ended on July 1, 2005.
7(4) The Legislature
enacted Resolution Chapter 101 of the
8Statutes of 2006, which recognized the importance of local
9recreational and park agencies in the effort to reverse negative
10trends in inactivity, obesity, diabetes, and other health problems
11among Californians and encouraged the state to use, and partner
12with, local recreation and park providers to create a healthier state.
13(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to expand access to parks
14and other outdoor educational and recreational opportunities in
15underserved areas by, among other things, convening and
16developing strategic partnerships to facilitate, promote, and
17enhance access to parks, as well as outdoor educational and
18recreational experiences in underserved communities.
Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 5880) is added
20to Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
21
(a) On or before March 30, 2016, the department shall
26establish an Outdoor Environmental Education and Recreation
27Grants Program to increase the ability of underserved and at-risk
28populations to participate in outdoor recreation and educational
29experiences by awarding grants to public organizations, nonprofit
30organizations, or both.
31(b) In developing the program, the director shall do both of the
32following:
33(1) Ensure that the program meets the criteria specified in
34Section 5095.4 and develop additional criteria and procedures as
35may be necessary to implement the grant program.
36(2) Administer the program to ensure
that priority is given to
37underserved populations, including both urban and rural areas and
38low-income communities where participation in an outdoor
39environmental education and recreation program has been limited.
P4 1(c) The director may develop an advisory task force composed
2of public, private, nonprofit, academic, and other entities and
3individuals to assist in the development of the program, including
4representatives of the California Environmental Education
5Interagency Network.
6(d) The director shall give priority for funding, where feasible
7and where consistent with the criteria specified in Section 5095.4,
8to an outdoor environmental education and recreation program
9that has at least one of the following attributes:
10(1) Serves at-risk youth and underserved demographic groups.
11(2) Demonstrates partnerships between public, private, and
12nonprofit entities.
13(3) Contributes to healthy lifestyles, sound nutritional habits,
14and improved outdoor educational and recreational experiences.
15(4) Maximizes the number of participants that can be served.
16(5) Commits in-kind resources.
17(6) Has a curriculum that is aligned to the science content
18standards for California public schools adopted by the State Board
19of Education.
20(7) Fosters stewardship of the environment and includes, when
21available, curriculum established pursuant to Part 4 (commencing
22with Section 71300) of Division 34.
23(8) Integrates instruction in science, technology, engineering,
24and mathematics.
25(9) Includes service learning and community outreach
26components for purposes of building partnerships between
27participants and local communities.
28(e) Reverted and unencumbered funds from the California Clean
29Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection
30Act of 2002 may be appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose
31of this chapter, if consistent with the requirements of California
32Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal
33Protection Act of 2002. The director may also accept private
34donations made for the support of the program. The director may
35solicit and accept private funding to help supplement the costs of
36the program. These funding sources may include, but are not
37limited to, foundations,
corporate funding, crowd funding
38resources, donation drives, or any other funding sources that may
39be available.
P5 1(f) All moneys received pursuant to subdivision (e) for the
2purpose of this program shall be deposited in the California Youth
3Outdoor Education Account, which is hereby created within the
4State Park and Recreation Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340
5of the Government Code, moneys in the California Youth Outdoor
6Education Account shall be continuously appropriated to the
7department for purposes of this chapter.
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