BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 988
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
988 (Mark Stone and Atkins)
As Amended June 1, 2015
Majority vote
-------------------------------------------------------------------
|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+----------------------+--------------------|
|Water |12-2 |Levine, Dababneh, |Beth Gaines, Harper |
| | |Dahle, Dodd, Cristina | |
| | |Garcia, Gomez, Lopez, | |
| | |Mathis, Medina, | |
| | |Rendon, Salas, | |
| | |Williams | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |12-1 |Gomez, Bonta, |Bigelow |
| | |Calderon, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Gordon, | |
| | |Holden, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) to
establish an Outdoor Environmental Education and Recreation Grants
AB 988
Page 2
Program to increase the ability of underserved at-risk populations
to participate in outdoor recreation and educational experiences.
Specifically, this bill:
1)States legislative findings and declarations regarding the
importance of park access, outdoor education, and outdoor
recreational experiences to the health and well-being of
California citizens and for continuing stewardship of our
natural resources, and regarding the public health problems
exacerbated by the lack of equitable access to these places and
experiences in many communities. Makes further declarations
regarding the findings of the Parks Forward Commission, and the
outcomes and benefits of other state environmental education and
local park programs.
2)States the intent of the Legislature to expand access to parks
and other outdoor educational and recreational opportunities in
underserved areas by convening and developing strategic
partnerships to facilitate, promote, and enhance park access as
well as outdoor educational and recreational experiences in
underserved communities.
3)Requires DPR to 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 and
nonprofit organizations.
4)Requires the director of DPR to develop criteria and procedures
to implement the program that give priority to underserved
populations, including both urban and rural areas and low-income
communities where participation in outdoor environmental
education and recreation programs has been limited.
5)Authorizes the director of DPR to develop an advisory task
force, as specified, to assist in developing the program.
AB 988
Page 3
6)Requires that funding priority be given to programs that
primarily serve students who are eligible for free or
reduced-price meals, foster youth, or pupils of limited English
proficiency, and have one of the following attributes:
a) Serve at-risk youth and underserved demographic
groups.
b) Include public, private, and nonprofit partnerships.
c) Contribute to healthy lifestyles.
d) Maximize numbers of participants.
e) Commit in-kind resources.
f) Have a curriculum aligned to the science content
standards for California public schools adopted by the
State Board of Education.
g) Foster stewardship of the environment and includes
curriculum developed under the statewide environmental
education program.
h) Integrate instruction in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics.
i) Include service learning and community outreach to
build partnerships between participants and local
communities.
AB 988
Page 4
7)Provides that reverted and unencumbered funds from the
California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and
Coastal Protection Act of 2002 (Proposition 40) may be
appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of this bill, if
consistent with the requirements of that Act, and that grants
awarded from those funds shall be awarded only to programs that
meet specified criteria.
8)Authorizes the director of DPR to additionally accept private
donations made for support of the program, and to solicit and
accept private funding to help supplement the costs of the
program. Specifies that such funding sources may include, but
are not limited to, foundations, corporate funding, crowd
funding resources, donation drives, and other sources.
9)Requires that all moneys received for these purposes shall be
deposited in the California Youth Outdoor Education Account,
which this bill creates within the State Park and Recreation
Fund, and shall be continuously appropriated to DPR for purposes
of the program.
10)Amends the State Urban Parks and Healthy Communities Act to
clarify that funds appropriated for purposes of that Act may
include programs in public park properties in the coastal zone.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes DPR which is responsible for administering the state
park system. DPR has also been directed under prior bond acts
to administer grant programs for local and regional parks and
related programs. Authorizes DPR to provide spaces within the
state park system for schools to use for environmental
education.
2)Establishes guidelines for DPR to use in granting funds for
programs that provide outdoor environmental education
AB 988
Page 5
experiences to low-income students on public properties.
3)Establishes a statewide environmental education program, to be
administered by the Office of Education and Environment within
the Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery
(CalRecycle), in cooperation with other agencies. The program,
among other things, calls for development of a unified education
strategy on the environment for elementary and secondary
schools, including environmental education principles.
4)Requires the Office of Education and Environment to develop a
model environmental education curriculum, to submit the
curriculum to the Instructional Quality Commission for review,
to make the curriculum available electronically, and to
coordinate with other state agencies to facilitate its use.
5)Establishes the Environmental Education Account in the State
Treasury and authorizes CalRecycle to expend funds in the
Account.
6)States legislative findings and declarations (contained in SB 96
(Leno), the Resources Budget trailer bill of 2013) that the
State's model Education and the Environment Curriculum is the
first of its kind in the nation to receive State Board of
Education approval. Declares that CalRecycle should collaborate
across agencies and disciplines, including the California
Environmental Education Protection Agency (CalEPA), the
California Department of Education (CDE), and the Natural
Resources Agency, to achieve the goal of promoting environmental
literacy and use of the curriculum.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
AB 988
Page 6
1)Substantial cost pressures, about $1 million annually, to fund
grants awarded by the DPR under the outdoor program. (The
Outdoor Environmental Education and Recreation Fund created by
this bill to include reverted bond funds and private donations.)
2)Moderate one-time costs, in the range of $200,000 for DPR to
develop the program grant process (General Fund (GF), special or
private funds)
3)Moderate ongoing costs, in the range of $400,000 annually, to
DPR to administer the outdoor program grant process, provide
technical assistance and perform site visits and audits (GF,
special or private funds.)
COMMENTS: This bill would establish a grant program to be
administered by DPR to provide funding for outdoor environmental
education and recreation programs operated by public entities or
nonprofit organizations. Priority would be given in awarding the
grants to programs serving at-risk youth and underserved
populations, including low-income students, foster youth, and
pupils with limited English proficiency, in addition to other
factors. Priority would also be given to programs using curricula
aligned with approved state educational standards. The director
of DPR would be responsible for developing and administering the
program.
The author notes that "in many underserved communities outdoor
environmental education and recreation programs provide the only
exposure that children have to nature and the environment. Outdoor
environmental education provides students with memorable
real-world experiences which increase interest in science and
environmental stewardship. Encouraging such interests may also
help students increase their interest and abilities in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, which
will help ensure that California remains a leader in these fields
AB 988
Page 7
in the future."
AB 1330 (Simitian), Chapter 633, Statutes of 2003, established the
Outdoor Environmental Education Program, administered by the CDE,
to support outdoor environmental programs serving primarily
at-risk youth. The program involved participation in outdoor
environmental activities, including service learning and community
outreach components. The program was in effect for one year,
sunset on January 1, 2005, and was repealed on January 1, 2006.
AB 1330 called for an independent study of the benefits of the
program. The study was performed by the American Institutes for
Research and focused on 255 sixth-grade students from four
elementary schools who attended three outdoor education programs
in Tulare, Los Angeles, and San Diego Counties in 2004. The study
found that, among other things, the science test scores of
children who participated in these programs were raised by 27%.
The children also exhibited measurable improvements in conflict
resolution and problem solving, self-esteem, and learning
motivation. Children who attended the outdoor science programs
showed statistically significant positive gains in all eight
constructs on which they were rated. Also of note, 56% of the
participants reported that the outdoor school experience
represented the first time they had spent time in a natural
setting. The study did note that due to the small sample size,
"findings cannot be generalized to all students attending outdoor
education programs in California, particularly because of the
range of programs that exist. However, this research indicates a
large number of positive outcomes for at-risk children who attend
resident outdoor science schools certified by the California
Department of Education."
This bill furthers one of the priority recommendations of the
Parks Forward Commission, an independent commission appointed by
the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to conduct a
comprehensive review of the state park system. The Commission
AB 988
Page 8
issued its final report and recommendations on January 30, 2015.
One of the top priority recommendations of the Commission was that
the state should improve park access to underserved communities,
with a particular emphasis on the needs of younger generations.
As the legislative findings in this bill indicate, the Commission
found, among other things, that improving access to parks, outdoor
experiences, and recreational opportunities, particularly for
youth 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.
This bill is similar to a number of past bills considered by the
Legislature, including AB 1603 (Stone) of 2014 which was held in
the Assembly Appropriations Committee. One significant difference
between AB 1603 and this bill is that AB 1603 proposed to fund the
program from the GF, whereas this bill proposes that the program
be funded from, among other sources, reverted and unencumbered
Proposition 40 bond funds. Other substantially similar past bills
on this issue include AB 2989 (Fuentes) of 2008, SB 207 (Padilla)
of 2007, and SB 1649 (Alarcon) of 2006, each of which proposed
funding from various sources and were held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee. More recently, AB 2150 (Rendon) of 2014
proposed to create a new division of community initiatives and
park access within DPR, and called for the development of a
strategic action plan for improving park access and relevancy for
underserved populations. It also included an emphasis on
development of partnerships to address park and recreational needs
of underserved youth and young adults, and to connect youth with
nature and the outdoors. AB 2150 was vetoed by the Governor. SB
204 (Pavley) of the currently legislative session, authorizes DPR
to accept donations from public or private sources to fund
programs to benefit youth, and to enter into cooperative
agreements with public or nonprofit organizations to provide
service and learning opportunities for youth.
Supporters of this bill emphasize that this bill will fill a gap
AB 988
Page 9
in California's education programs by connecting underserved and
low-income students with nature. They note that studies show
participating in outdoor education leads to increased learning
motivation and self-esteem, encouraging interest in science,
environmental stewardship, mathematics, and other STEM subjects.
Supporters also cite studies and reports documenting the many
benefits of outdoor education programs, including more positive
social relationships, learning conflict resolution, academic
success, improved mental health, and civic engagement.
There is no known opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by:
Diane Colborn / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096 FN:
0000789