A.B. 165
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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 165–COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
(ON BEHALF OF THE OUTDOOR EDUCATION
ADVISORY WORKING GROUP)
PREFILED JANUARY 31, 2025
____________
Referred to Committee on Natural Resources
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to outdoor education.
(BDR 35-633)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to outdoor education; establishing the Outdoor
Education Council within the Division of Outdoor
Recreation of the State Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources; prescribing the membership and duties
of the Council; requiring the Council to establish and
administer a program to award designations relating to
outdoor education; authorizing the Council to adopt
certain regulations relating to the program; and providing
other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
During the 2023 Legislative Session, the Legislature enacted Assembly Bill 1
No. 164, which required the Division of Outdoor Recreation of the State 2
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to establish an Outdoor 3
Education Advisory Working Group during the 2023-2024 interim to study 4
approaches to incorporate outdoor recreation into the curriculum of the public 5
education system of this State and authorized the Working Group to request the 6
drafting of not more than 1 legislative measure which relates to matters within the 7
scope of the Working Group. (Section 1.7 of Assembly Bill No. 164, chapter 77, 8
Statutes of Nevada 2023, at page 393) 9
Section 3 of this bill establishes the Outdoor Education Council within the 10
Division and prescribes the membership of the Council. Section 4 of this bill sets 11
forth the duties of the Council, including a requirement for the Council to establish 12
and administer a program to award a designation to: (1) schools in this State which 13
provide to pupils outdoor education programs that meet certain standards developed 14
by the Council pursuant to section 5 of this bill; and (2) a teacher in this State as 15
Outdoor Educator of the Year. Section 5 requires the Council, in administering 16
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such a program, to provide a nonmonetary award to a teacher recognized as 17
Outdoor Educator of the Year and authorizes the Council to provide to schools 18
awarded a designation pursuant to section 4 an award of money to be used to 19
support outdoor education programs of the school. 20
Section 4 requires the Division to provide the Council with such administrative 21
support as is necessary to support the Council in carrying out its duties and 22
authorizes the Division to accept gifts, grants and donations from any source to 23
support the work of the Council. 24
Section 6 of this bill authorizes the Council to adopt regulations necessary to 25
carry out the provisions of sections 4 and 5. Section 7 of this bill applies 26
definitions in existing law relating to the Division of Outdoor Recreation and the 27
definition of “Council” set forth in section 2 of this bill to the provisions of 28
sections 2-6. 29
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 407A of NRS is hereby amended by 1
adding thereto the provisions set forth as sections 2 to 6, inclusive, 2
of this act. 3
Sec. 2. “Council” means the Outdoor Education Council 4
created by section 3 of this act. 5
Sec. 3. 1. The Outdoor Education Council is hereby 6
created in the Division. The Council consists of: 7
(a) The following eight voting members: 8
(1) One member who is a representative of the Division 9
appointed by the Administrator; 10
(2) One member who is a representative of the Department 11
of Education appointed by the Superintendent of Public 12
Instruction; 13
(3) One member who is a representative of the Department 14
of Wildlife appointed by the Director of the Department of 15
Wildlife; 16
(4) One superintendent of a school district appointed by the 17
Nevada Association of School Superintendents; 18
(5) Two members who are licensed teachers appointed by 19
the Governor; and 20
(6) Two members who are providers of nature-based 21
education, one of whom must primarily serve a historically 22
underserved community, appointed by the Governor; and 23
(b) One nonvoting member who is a pupil enrolled in a public 24
school in this State appointed by the Governor. 25
2. Each member of the Council serves a term of 3 years. 26
Members may be reappointed for an additional term of 3 years in 27
the same manner as the original appointment. Any vacancy 28
occurring in the membership of the Council must be filled in the 29
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same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the 1
unexpired term. 2
3. A majority of the members of the Council constitutes a 3
quorum for the transaction of business, and a majority of a 4
quorum present at any meeting is sufficient for any official action 5
taken by the Council. 6
4. At the first meeting of the Council and annually thereafter, 7
the members of the Council shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair 8
from among the members of the Council. 9
5. Each member of the Council serves without compensation. 10
6. Any member of the Council who is an officer or employee 11
of the State or a political subdivision of this State must be relieved 12
from his or her duties without loss of regular compensation to 13
prepare for and attend meetings of the Council and perform any 14
work necessary to carry out the duties of the Council in the most 15
timely manner practicable. A state agency or political subdivision 16
of this State shall not require an officer or employee who is a 17
member of the Council to: 18
(a) Make up the time he or she is absent from work to carry 19
out his or her duties as a member of the Council; or 20
(b) Take annual leave or compensatory time for the absence. 21
7. As used in this section, “historically underserved 22
community” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 704.78343. 23
Sec. 4. 1. The Council shall: 24
(a) Establish and administer a program to award a designation 25
to: 26
(1) Schools in this State which provide to pupils outdoor 27
education programs that meet the standards developed pursuant to 28
section 5 of this act; and 29
(2) A teacher in this State as Outdoor Educator of the Year. 30
(b) Provide opportunities for educators to receive training 31
concerning outdoor education by developing such training or 32
identifying and making available to schools information 33
concerning opportunities for such training. 34
(c) Provide technical assistance to support schools and school 35
districts interested in developing initiatives for outdoor education. 36
In providing such assistance, the Council shall prioritize schools 37
with the least access to nature. 38
(d) Identify sources of federal money and grants to support 39
outdoor education in this State. 40
2. The Division: 41
(a) Shall provide the Council with such administrative support 42
as is necessary to assist the Council in carrying out its duties; and 43
(b) May accept gifts, grants and donations from any source to 44
support the work of the Council. 45
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Sec. 5. 1. In administering the program established 1
pursuant to section 4 of this act, the Council: 2
(a) Shall develop voluntary standards for outdoor education 3
programs provided to pupils by schools, including, without 4
limitation, standards: 5
(1) Which provide for an interdisciplinary approach for a 6
curriculum of outdoor education; and 7
(2) Concerning the development and use of living 8
schoolyards which are climate-resilient. 9
(b) In addition to any grant of money provided pursuant to 10
NRS 407A.600 to 407A.620, inclusive, may, to the extent that 11
money is available, provide to schools recognized pursuant to 12
section 4 of this act, an award of money to be used to support 13
outdoor education programs of the schools. 14
(c) Shall provide a nonmonetary award to a teacher recognized 15
pursuant to section 4 of this act as Outdoor Educator of the Year. 16
2. For the purposes of this section, “living schoolyard” 17
means an outdoor environment at a school that strengthens local 18
ecological systems and serves as a resource for hands-on 19
education, including, without limitation, trees, gardens, outdoor 20
meeting areas and other areas designed for such purposes. 21
Sec. 6. The Council may adopt such regulations as necessary 22
to carry out the provisions of sections 4 and 5 of this act. 23
Sec. 7. NRS 407A.500 is hereby amended to read as follows: 24
407A.500 As used in NRS 407A.500 to 407A.620, inclusive, 25
and sections 2 to 6, inclusive, of this act, unless the context 26
otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in NRS 407A.510, 27
407A.515 and 407A.525 and section 2 of this act have the 28
meanings ascribed to them in those sections. 29
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