[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2310 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2310
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to establish a Climate Change Education Program, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 1, 2021
Mrs. Dingell (for herself, Ms. Brownley, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Pressley, Mr.
Panetta, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Norton, Mr. McGovern,
Mr. Morelle, Mr. Gallego, and Mr. Huffman) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and
in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to establish a Climate Change Education Program, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Climate Change Education Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The evidence for human-induced climate change is
overwhelming and undeniable.
(2) Atmospheric carbon can be significantly reduced through
conservation, by shifting to renewable energy sources such as
solar, wind, tidal, and geothermal, and by increasing the
efficiency of buildings, including domiciles, and
transportation.
(3) Providing clear information about climate change, in a
variety of forms, can remove the fear and the sense of
helplessness, and encourage individuals and communities to take
action.
(4) Implementation of measures that promote energy
efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy will greatly
reduce human impact on the environment.
(5) Informing people of new technologies and programs as
they become available will ensure maximum understanding and
maximum effect of those measures.
(6) More than 3,000,000 students graduate from high schools
and colleges in the United States each year, armed with
attitudes, skills, and knowledge about the climate that inform
their actions.
(7) The effect on the climate, positive or negative, of
each of those 3,000,000 students lasts beyond a lifetime.
(8) Those students need to be prepared to implement changes
in professional and personal practices, to support and help
develop new technology and policy, and to address the coming
social and economic challenges and opportunities arising from a
changing climate.
(9) It has been demonstrated that the people of the United
States overwhelmingly support teaching students about the
causes, consequences, and potential solutions to climate change
in all 50 States and more than 3,000 counties across the United
States.
(10) Only 30 percent of middle school and 45 percent of
high school science teachers understand the extent of the
scientific consensus on climate change.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Climate change education.--The term ``climate change
education'' means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary
learning at all age levels about--
(A) climate change, climate adaptation and
mitigation, climate resilience, and climate justice;
and
(B) the effects of climate change, climate
adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, and
climate justice on the environmental, energy, social,
and economic systems of the United States.
(2) Climate literacy.--The term ``climate literacy'' means
competence or knowledge of climate change, its causes and
impacts, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social
dynamics of promising solutions.
(3) Climate justice.--The term ``climate justice'' means
the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people,
regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income,
with respect to the development, implementation, and
enforcement of policies and projects to ensure that each person
enjoys the same degree of protection from the adverse effects
of climate change.
(4) Environmental justice.--The term ``environmental
justice'' means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement
of all people, regardless of race, color, culture, national
origin, or income, with respect to the development,
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws,
regulations, and policies to ensure that each person enjoys--
(A) the same degree of protection from
environmental and health hazards; and
(B) equal access to any Federal agency action on
environmental justice issues in order to have a healthy
environment in which to live, learn, work, and
recreate.
(5) Environmental justice community.--The term
``environmental justice community'' means a community with
significant representation of communities of color, low-income
communities, or Tribal and indigenous communities that
experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more
adverse human health or environmental effects as compared to
other communities.
(6) Green economy.--The term ``green economy'' means an
economy that results in improved human and economic well-being
and social equity by significantly reducing environmental risks
and ecological scarcities.
(7) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(8) Local educational agency; state educational agency.--
The terms ``local educational agency'' and ``State educational
agency'' have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
(9) Nonformal.--The term ``nonformal'' means, with respect
to learning, out-of-school educational programming carried out
by nonprofit organizations and public agencies.
(10) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit
organization'' means an organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from
taxation under 501(a) of that Code.
SEC. 4. CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration shall establish a Climate Change Education Program to--
(1) increase the climate literacy of the United States by
broadening the understanding of climate change, including
possible long-term and short-term consequences,
disproportionate impacts of those consequences, and potential
solutions;
(2) apply the latest scientific and technological
discoveries, including through the use of the scientific assets
of the Administration, to provide formal and nonformal learning
opportunities to individuals of all ages, including individuals
of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds; and
(3) emphasize actionable information to help people
understand and promote implementation of new technologies,
programs, and incentives related to climate change, climate
adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, climate justice,
and environmental justice.
SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--As part of the Climate Change Education Program
established under section 4, the Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration shall establish a program to make grants
to the following:
(1) State educational agencies, in partnership with local
educational agencies and local nonprofit organizations, for the
implementation of aspects of State climate literacy plans for
grades 4 through 12 formal and informal climate change
education that--
(A) are aligned with State education standards;
(B) ensure that students graduate from high school
with climate literacy; and
(C) include at least 1 of the following:
(i) Relevant teacher training and
professional development.
(ii) Integration of key climate change
concepts into State education standards for
science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM), civics and social studies,
and other relevant subject areas during the
next revision of such standards.
(iii) Development of climate change
education educational frameworks and model
curricula and curation and dissemination of
existing climate change curriculum materials.
(iv) Creation of applied learning project-
based models, such as models making optimum use
of green features improvements to school
facilities, such as energy systems, lighting
systems, water management, waste management,
and school grounds improvements.
(v) Incorporation of climate change
mitigation and green technologies into new and
existing career and technical education career
tracks and work-based learning experiences,
including development of partnerships with
labor organizations, trade organizations, and
apprenticeship programs.
(2) Institutions of higher education and networks or
partnerships of such institutions to engage teams of faculty
and students to develop applied climate research and deliver to
local communities direct services related to local climate
mitigation and adaptation issues, with priority given to
projects that--
(A) foster long-term campus-community partnerships;
(B) show potential to scale work beyond the grant
term;
(C) are inclusive for all segments of the
population; and
(D) promote equitable and just outcomes.
(3) Professional associations and academic disciplinary
societies for projects that build capacity at the State and
national levels for continuing education by practicing
professionals and the general public in green economy fields.
(4) Youth corps organizations to engage in community-based
climate mitigation and adaptation work that includes a
substantive educational component.
(b) Climate Change Education Office.--
(1) In general.--There shall be, within the Office of
Education of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, an Office of Climate Change Education to
administer the grant program required by subsection (a).
(2) Consultation.--The Office of Climate Change Education
shall annually consult with other relevant agencies of the
Federal Government to determine ways in which grant making
under subsection (a) can enhance and support other national
climate education and training and environmental justice goals.
(3) Environmental justice communities.--The Office of
Climate Change Education shall ensure that 40 percent of all
funds appropriated for grants under paragraphs (2) and (4) of
subsection (a) are directed into environmental justice
communities.
(4) Communities of practice.--The Office of Climate Change
Education shall establish communities of practice with respect
to each of paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) in
order to accelerate learning.
SEC. 6. REPORT.
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act,
and annually thereafter, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration shall submit to Congress a report that
evaluates the scientific merits, educational effectiveness, and broader
effects of activities carried out under this Act.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out this Act
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026.
(b) Allocation of Amounts for Grant Program.--
(1) In general.--Amounts appropriated to carry out the
grant program required by section 5(a) shall be allocated as
follows:
(A) 50 percent for grants made under paragraph (1)
of such section.
(B) 30 percent for grants made under paragraph (2)
of such section.
(C) 10 percent for grants made under paragraph (3)
of such section.
(D) 10 percent for grants made under paragraph (4)
of such section.
(2) Exception.--If amounts appropriated to carry out the
grant program required by section 5(a) do not exceed $5,000,000
in any fiscal year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration may use in that fiscal year--
(A) 60 percent of such amounts for grants made
under paragraph (1) of such section; and
(B) 40 percent of such amounts for grants made
under paragraph (2) of such section.
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