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Senate Cultural Affairs Committee reports six bills on arts, parks and recreation
Summary
The State Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation reported six bills Feb. 4, 2025, moving measures on arts funding, parkland reporting, a state parks pass program, farmers markets in parks, a task force on outdoor education and an Amistad Commission update out of committee.
State Senator Jose M. Serrano, chair of the State Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, presided over the committee's first meeting of the 2025 legislative session on Feb. 4, at which members moved six bills out of committee for further consideration by the Senate.
The measures reported ranged from changes to the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law intended to increase access to resources for culturally diverse arts organizations to proposals affecting parkland reporting, a state parks pass pilot program, farmers markets in parks, creation of a task force on outdoor environmental education and amendments concerning the Amistad Commission. Committee members cast procedural motions to move each bill; a number of members recorded “without recommendation” votes on individual measures.
The committee reported the following bills to the Senate:
- S.115 (sponsor listed in the transcript as Senator Clear): Amends the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law to increase access to resources for culturally diverse arts and cultural organizations that advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, racial and social justice, and cultural preservation. The committee moved and seconded the bill and recorded it as reported; the transcript notes Senator Tedisco and another member as “without recommendation.”
- S.1057 (sponsor referenced by the chair): Amends provisions in Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation law related to reporting the alienation of municipal parkland. The committee moved and seconded the bill and reported it; the transcript records Senator Hellman as “without recommendation.”
- S.1071 (sponsor referenced by the chair): Establishes a state parks pass pilot program within Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation law. The committee moved and seconded the bill and reported it.
- S.1376 (sponsor referenced by the chair): Amends Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation law in relation to farmers markets and state and local parks. A committee member moved the bill; the motion was seconded and the committee reported the bill, with the transcript indicating the matter was sent to the committee handling fiscal review (recorded in the transcript as “turn it to fiscal”).
- S.1377 (sponsor listed by the chair): Creates a legislative task force on outdoor environmental education and recreation to promote stewardship, conservation and public health benefits of outdoor activity. The committee moved, seconded and reported the bill.
- S.3161 (sponsor Senator Jackson): Amends the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law in relation to the Amistad Commission. The committee moved and seconded the bill and reported it.
Committee proceedings were procedural and brief. Senators cast aye votes to move each item; for several measures the transcript records one or more members as “without recommendation.” No floor vote tallies or individual roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript excerpt provided.
Chair Serrano briefly described the committee's agenda and closed the session by inviting attendance at Arts Day 2025, an annual event that draws arts groups to Albany to discuss arts and culture policy with legislators. The chair then concluded the committee's first standing meeting for the session.
Meeting details in the transcript show motions, seconds, and the committee reporting the bills for further Senate consideration; the transcript does not show full roll-call vote counts, final floor actions, or additional committee amendments.
