BILL NUMBER: AB 988 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 29, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Mark Stone and Atkins
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
An act to amend Section 5095.4 of, and to add Chapter
14 (commencing with Section 5880) to Division 5 of
of, the Public Resources Code, relating to parks, and
making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 988, as amended, 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 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 develop
criteria as may be necessary t o implement the program
and to administer the program to ensure that priority is given
to underserved populations, as specified. The bill would
permit authorize 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 provide that, to the
extent specified, bond funds are available for grants under the
program, those funds shall be awarded to programs that meet the
criteria of the State Urban Parks and Healthy Communities Act.
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:
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(1) Park access, outdoor education, and outdoor recreational
experiences are important to the health and well-being of all
California citizens as well as the continuing stewardship of our
natural resources. Many California communities, however, lack
equitable access to parks and other open-space areas. This lack of
access to the outdoors contributes to higher incidences of certain
health ailments, such as diabetes, hypertension, and nature deficit
disorder, and other negative social indicators, especially in
low-income communities.
(2) According to the recent Parks Forward Commission report,
improving access to parks, outdoor experiences, and recreational
opportunities, particularly for youth and young adults in
disadvantaged communities, will lead to more healthy lifestyles,
better educational outcomes, and improvements to the overall
well-being of California citizens, communities, and our natural
environment.
(3) The Legislature enacted Chapter 663 of the Statutes of 2003,
which established the Outdoor Environmental Education Program and
required a study on the benefits of outdoor environmental education
for at-risk youth and underserved demographic groups. The study found
that the science test scores of children who participated in the
program were raised by 27 percent, and that these children also had
improved conflict resolution and problem solving skills, better
self-esteem, and were more motivated to learn. The program ended on
July 1, 2005.
(4) The Legislature enacted Resolution Chapter 101 of the Statutes
of 2006, which recognized the importance of local recreational and
park agencies in the effort to reverse negative trends in inactivity,
obesity, diabetes, and other health problems among Californians and
encouraged the state to use, and partner with, local recreation and
park providers to create a healthier state.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to expand access to parks
and other outdoor educational and recreational opportunities in
underserved areas by, among other things, convening and developing
strategic partnerships to facilitate, promote, and enhance access to
parks, as well as outdoor educational and recreational experiences in
underserved communities.
SEC. 2. Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 5880) is added to
Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
CHAPTER 14. OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND RECREATION
GRANTS PROGRAM
5880. (a) On or before March 30, 2016, the department shall
establish an Outdoor Environmental Education and Recreation Grants
Program to increase 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.
(b) In developing the program, the director shall do both of the
following:
(1) Ensure that the program meets the criteria specified
in Section 5095.4 and develop additional Develop
criteria and procedures as may be necessary to implement
the grant program.
(2) Administer the program to ensure that priority is given to
underserved populations, including both urban and rural areas and
low-income communities where participation in an outdoor
environmental education and recreation program has been limited.
(c) The director may develop an advisory task force composed of
public, private, nonprofit, academic, and other entities and
individuals to assist in the development of the program, including
representatives of the California Environmental Education Interagency
Network.
(d) The director shall give priority for funding, where
feasible and where consistent with the criteria specified in Section
5095.4, funding to an outdoor environmental
education and recreation program that has at least one of the
following attributes:
(1) Serves at-risk youth and underserved demographic groups.
(2) Demonstrates partnerships between public, private, and
nonprofit entities.
(3) Contributes to healthy lifestyles, sound nutritional habits,
and improved outdoor educational and recreational experiences.
(4) Maximizes the number of participants that can be served.
(5) Commits in-kind resources.
(6) Has a curriculum that is aligned to the science content
standards for California public schools adopted by the State Board of
Education.
(7) Fosters stewardship of the environment and includes, when
available, curriculum established pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with
Section 71300) of Division 34.
(8) Integrates instruction in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics.
(9) Includes service learning and community outreach components
for purposes of building partnerships between participants and local
communities.
(e) Reverted and unencumbered funds from the California Clean
Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act
of 2002 may be appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of
this chapter, if consistent with the requirements of the
California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and
Coastal Protection Act of 2002. The To the
extent that grants may be awarded from those funds, they shall be
awarded only to programs that meet all of the criteria specified in
Section 5095.4.
(f) The director may also accept
private donations made for the support of the program. The director
may solicit and accept private funding to help supplement the costs
of the program. These funding sources may include, but are not
limited to, foundations, corporate funding, crowd funding resources,
donation drives, or any other funding sources that may be available.
(f)
(g) All moneys received pursuant to
subdivision (e) subdivisions (e) and (f) for the
purpose of this program shall be deposited in the California Youth
Outdoor Education Account, which is hereby created within the State
Park and Recreation Fund. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the
Government Code, moneys in the California Youth Outdoor Education
Account shall be continuously appropriated to the department for
purposes of this chapter.
SEC. 3. Section 5095.4 of the Public
Resources Code is amended to read:
5095.4. (a) The director, in consultation with the State
Department of Education, shall 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, working in
collaboration, to provide outdoor educational opportunities to
children.
(1) Applicant entities shall provide a 25-percent matching
contribution in community resources. The matching contributions may
be in the form of money, including funds from other state or local
assistance programs, gifts of real property, equipment, and
consumable supplies, volunteer services, free or reduced-cost use of
land, facilities, or equipment, and bequests and income from wills,
estates, and trusts. The department may establish findings for
hardships to waive the matching requirement when an applicant cannot
meet the requirement.
(2) The department may give additional consideration to applicant
entities collaborating with other entities, including, but not
limited to, school districts, faith-based groups and others providing
outreach programs to identify and attract urbanized youth most in
need of organized, constructive recreational activities.
(b) The department shall make one-third of any funds appropriated
for the purposes of this chapter available to give special priority
to providing increased access for elementary schoolage children in
grades 2 to 8, inclusive, to conservancy or state, community, and
regional park properties , including public
properties within the coastal zone, and, in addition, shall
give priority, in awarding a grant pursuant to this section, to all
of the following:
(1) Programs that use curriculum tied to the science content
standards and science framework adopted by the State Board of
Education.
(2) Applicants that serve children with family incomes below the
statewide average, based on the most recent figures computed and
established by the Department of Finance.
(3) Applicants that provide access to children who are underserved
or lack access to parks or other outdoor venues suitable to conduct
appropriate environmental education instruction.
(4) Applicants that have developed working collaboratives to
develop environmental education partnerships.
(5) Applicants working in collaboration with local educational
agencies to identify those children lacking adequate opportunities to
access outdoor environmental education curriculum or innovative or
alternative recreation programming.
(c) The amount of a grant awarded pursuant to this section may not
be less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or more than two
hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). A grant may be expended for any
of the following purposes:
(1) Staffing that is directly associated with the programming.
(2) Staff training or development directly associated with the
programming.
(3) Costs associated with transporting youth between a community
or school and the proposed environmental education venue.
(4) Medical insurance for the participants, only if the insurance
is a requirement pursuant to the activity.
(5) Operational costs, such as the rental equipment, food, and
supplies.
(6) Applicants that can demonstrate that the administrative costs
associated with this activity will not exceed more than 7.5 percent
of the amount of the grant.
(d) The department may gather information from the applicants as
to the effectiveness of these programs in meeting program objectives.
The department shall summarize this information and report to the
appropriate budget and fiscal committees of both houses of the
Legislature as to the number of children served, the educational
objectives met, and the level of demand.
(e) Applicant agencies may enter into contracts with other public
agencies or entities to provide unique interpretive skills or to
present authentic, curriculum-based programs in units of conservancy
properties or state, community, or regional park systems for services
not otherwise provided. The purpose of this subdivision is to
authorize the applicants to provide programming services, equipment,
and materials that assist in the curriculum program or provide
educational activities that assist in the presentation of cultural
traditions.