STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6109 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 5, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in relation to creating the "Women's rights history trail" program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The parks, recreation and historic preservation law is 2 amended by adding a new article 42 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 42 4 WOMEN'S RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL PROGRAM 5 Section 42.01 Legislative intent. 6 42.03 Definitions. 7 42.05 General functions, powers and duties of the commissioner. 8 § 42.01 Legislative intent. The legislature recognizes that the 9 women's rights movement is one of the three great protest traditions in 10 United States history, sharing that status with the struggle for racial 11 equality and the labor movements. 12 The legislature further recognizes that the women's rights movement 13 has a strong tradition in the state. In the nineteenth century the 14 state was at the cutting edge of the women's rights movement. On July 15 19, 1848, a group of activists including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucre- 16 tia Mott and Mary Ann M'Clintock, convened the first Women's Rights 17 Convention at Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls. During the convention, 68 18 women and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments calling for a 19 broad array of rights for women, including suffrage. In 1868, Susan B. 20 Anthony helped to found the American Equal Rights Association. In 1890, 21 under her leadership and the leadership of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the 22 National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was formed. NAWSA 23 was instrumental in securing passage of the 19th amendment, which 24 amended the Constitution to give women the right to vote. The 19th EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10587-01-5
S. 6109 2 1 amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and was ratified on 2 August 18, 1920. Susan B. Anthony also campaigned for the rights of 3 women to own property, to keep their own earnings, and to have custody 4 of their children. In 1900, she persuaded the University of Rochester to 5 admit women. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the women's 6 movement expanded to play a critical role in shaping policies on educa- 7 tion, legal reform, and economic and social welfare. The legislature 8 recognizes that there are many notable women in the state who fought for 9 women's suffrage. It is therefore the intent of this legislature to have 10 created a program that will systematically identify properties and sites 11 for inclusion into a women's rights history trail. By creating a 12 women's rights history trail, the state will encourage the education 13 about and awareness of the important role of women in the state in the 14 women's rights movement and their contribution to history as well as 15 attract visitors to the state and enhance the state's tourism trade. 16 Further it is the intent of the legislature to ensure that the women's 17 rights history trail is adequately signed so that travelers may follow 18 the trail independently and with ease. 19 § 42.03 Definitions. As used in this article the following definitions 20 shall apply: 21 1. "Women's rights history trail" shall mean a series of properties 22 and sites identified by the commissioner, which may be linked by 23 geographic proximity and alignment and thematic and historical associ- 24 ation with women's rights. 25 2. "Women's rights history passport" shall mean a booklet or other 26 publication that names and describes the properties and sites identified 27 by the commissioner and included on the women's rights history trail, 28 and may include discounts and other incentives related to visiting the 29 properties and sites on the women's rights history trail. 30 § 42.05 General functions, powers and duties of the commissioner. 1. 31 The commissioner shall develop and implement the "women's rights history 32 trail" program. Such program shall promote education and awareness of 33 the struggle for women's rights throughout history. The commissioner, in 34 conjunction with the commissioner of transportation, and any other prop- 35 erties or sites as identified by the commissioner and any local govern- 36 ment official or entity, shall identify properties and sites that are 37 historically and thematically associated with the struggle for women's 38 rights and women's suffrage to be part of the trail. 39 2. The women's rights history trail shall include, but shall not be 40 limited to, properties and sites which tell the story of the seventy- 41 two-year fight for women's suffrage. These properties and sites shall 42 include the Women's National Historical Park, the Susan B. Anthony 43 birthplace, the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Houses in Washington county and 44 Seneca Falls, sites associated with Elizabeth Cady Stanton in Johnstown, 45 Woodlawn Cemetery, sites associated with Carrie Chapman Catt, the Gerrit 46 and Ann Smith House, the Matilda Joslyn Gage House, the Harriet May 47 Mills House, the Harriet Tubman Home, the Stone Store Museum, the Seward 48 House, sites associated with the Seneca Falls women's rights convention, 49 the First Presbyterian Church of Seneca Falls, the Ontario County Court- 50 house, the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse, the Susan B. Anthony 51 House in Rochester, the Susan B. Anthony childhood home in Washington 52 county, the Alice Austen Home in the borough of Staten Island, Barnard 53 College in the borough of Manhattan, the Michigan Street Baptist Church 54 in Buffalo, sites associated with Grandma Moses in Easton, and any other 55 properties or sites as identified by the commissioner. The commissioner
S. 6109 3 1 shall develop the women's rights history trail so that it is relatively 2 simple and easy to follow for patrons. 3 3. The commissioner shall cause to produce and disseminate appropriate 4 educational materials regarding the trail route, such as handbooks, 5 maps, exhibits, signs, interpretive guides and electronic information. 6 4. The commissioner shall cause to be developed vacation itineraries 7 based on the women's rights history trail, which shall identify for 8 visitors surrounding attractions, restaurants, farms, lodging and other 9 exhibits or places of entertainment as may be a part of the historical 10 theme linking the properties and sites on the women's rights history 11 trail. 12 5. The commissioner shall work to develop discount packages for such 13 women's rights history trail, which may include the development of a 14 women's rights history trail passport. Nothing shall preclude the 15 commissioner from contracting with an independent vacation or travel 16 package company to help develop vacation packages along the women's 17 rights history trail. 18 6. The commissioner of transportation shall cooperate with the office 19 in carrying out the provisions of this section. The commissioner of 20 transportation is authorized to permit the installation and maintenance 21 of signs on the state highway system for trails designated pursuant to 22 this section. However, to avoid confusion and to limit any possible 23 disruption of commerce, the trail designation called for pursuant to 24 this section shall be of a ceremonial nature and the official names of 25 such highways shall not be changed as a result of such designations. 26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.