S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  7779

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 4, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. NOLAN -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing Earth day

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 810 of the education law, as amended by chapter 616
of  the  laws  of 1969 and subdivision 1 as amended by chapter 96 of the
laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
  S 810. [Conservation] EARTH day.  [1. The last Friday  in  April  each
year  is  hereby  made and declared to be known as Conservation day, and
observed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, except  that
for  the  year nineteen hundred seventy-eight, Conservation day shall be
May third.
  2. It shall be the duty of the authorities of every public  school  in
this  state  to  assemble  the pupils in their charge on that day in the
school building, or elsewhere, as they may deem proper, and  to  provide
for and conduct (1) such exercises as shall tend to encourage the plant-
ing,  protection  and preservation of trees and shrubs, and an acquaint-
ance with the best methods to be adopted to accomplish such results, and
(2) such lectures, pictures or tours, as  shall  tend  to  increase  the
interest  and  knowledge  of such pupils in the fish and wild life, soil
and water of the state.
  3. The commissioner of education may prescribe from  time  to  time  a
course  of  exercises  and  instruction  in  the  subjects  hereinbefore
mentioned, which shall be adopted and  observed  by  the  public  school
authorities  on  Conservation day. Upon receipt of copies of such course
sufficient in number to supply all the schools under their  supervision,
the  school  authorities  aforesaid  shall  promptly provide each of the
schools under their charge with a copy, and cause  it  to  be  observed]
ANNUALLY, IT SHALL BE THE DUTY OF THE AUTHORITIES OF EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL
IN  THIS  STATE  TO  OBSERVE  EARTH  DAY  AS THEY MAY DEEM PROPER AND TO
ENCOURAGE INSTRUCTION ON THE EARTH'S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AS APPROPRIATE.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11065-01-3