EXEMPT
(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 14, 2025)
FIRST REPRINT 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 chapter 77, Statutes of Nevada 2023, 8
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. 18
Section 4 requires the Division, to the extent possible, to provide the Council 19
with such administrative support as is necessary to assist the Council in carrying 20
out its duties and authorizes the Division to accept gifts, grants and donations from 21
any source to support the work of the Council. 22
Section 6 of this bill authorizes the Council to adopt regulations necessary to 23
carry out the provisions of sections 4 and 5. Section 7 of this bill applies 24
definitions in existing law relating to the Division and the definition of “Council” 25
set forth in section 2 of this bill to the provisions of sections 2-6. 26
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 ten 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; 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; 23
(7) One member of the Senate appointed by the Majority 24
Leader of the Senate; and 25
(8) One member of the Assembly appointed by the Speaker 26
of the Assembly; and 27
(b) One nonvoting member who is a pupil enrolled in a public 28
school in this State appointed by the Governor. 29
2. Each member of the Council serves a term of 3 years. 30
Members may be reappointed for an additional term of 3 years in 31
the same manner as the original appointment. Any vacancy 32
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occurring in the membership of the Council must be filled in the 1
same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the 2
unexpired term. 3
3. A majority of the members of the Council constitutes a 4
quorum for the transaction of business, and a majority of a 5
quorum present at any meeting is sufficient for any official action 6
taken by the Council. 7
4. At the first meeting of the Council and annually thereafter, 8
the members of the Council shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair 9
from among the members of the Council. 10
5. Each member of the Council serves without compensation. 11
6. Any member of the Council who is an officer or employee 12
of the State or a political subdivision of this State must be relieved 13
from his or her duties without loss of regular compensation to 14
prepare for and attend meetings of the Council and perform any 15
work necessary to carry out the duties of the Council in the most 16
timely manner practicable. A state agency or political subdivision 17
of this State shall not require an officer or employee who is a 18
member of the Council to: 19
(a) Make up the time he or she is absent from work to carry 20
out his or her duties as a member of the Council; or 21
(b) Take annual leave or compensatory time for the absence. 22
7. As used in this section, “historically underserved 23
community” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 704.78343. 24
Sec. 4. 1. The Council shall: 25
(a) Establish and administer a program to award a designation 26
to: 27
(1) Schools in this State which provide to pupils outdoor 28
education programs that meet the standards developed pursuant to 29
section 5 of this act; and 30
(2) A teacher in this State as Outdoor Educator of the Year. 31
(b) Provide opportunities for educators to receive training 32
concerning outdoor education by developing such training or 33
identifying and making available to schools information 34
concerning opportunities for such training. 35
(c) Provide technical assistance to support schools and school 36
districts interested in developing initiatives for outdoor education. 37
In providing such assistance, the Council shall prioritize schools 38
with the least access to nature. 39
(d) Identify sources of federal money and grants to support 40
outdoor education in this State. 41
2. The Division: 42
(a) Shall, to the extent possible, provide the Council with such 43
administrative support as is necessary to assist the Council in 44
carrying out its duties; and 45
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(b) May accept gifts, grants and donations from any source to 1
support the work of the Council. 2
Sec. 5. 1. In administering the program established 3
pursuant to section 4 of this act, the Council shall: 4
(a) Develop voluntary standards for outdoor education 5
programs provided to pupils by schools, including, without 6
limitation, standards: 7
(1) Which provide for an interdisciplinary approach for a 8
curriculum of outdoor education; and 9
(2) Concerning the development and use of living 10
schoolyards which are climate-resilient; and 11
(b) Provide a nonmonetary award to a teacher recognized 12
pursuant to section 4 of this act as Outdoor Educator of the Year. 13
2. For the purposes of this section, “living schoolyard” 14
means an outdoor environment at a school that strengthens local 15
ecological systems and serves as a resource for hands-on 16
education, including, without limitation, trees, gardens, outdoor 17
meeting areas and other areas designed for such purposes. 18
Sec. 6. The Council may adopt such regulations as are 19
necessary to carry out the provisions of sections 4 and 5 of this act. 20
Sec. 7. NRS 407A.500 is hereby amended to read as follows: 21
407A.500 As used in NRS 407A.500 to 407A.620, inclusive, 22
and sections 2 to 6, inclusive, of this act, unless the context 23
otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in NRS 407A.510, 24
407A.515 and 407A.525 and section 2 of this act have the 25
meanings ascribed to them in those sections. 26
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