[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4117 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2nd Session
S. 4117
To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to establish a Climate Change Education Program, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 11 (legislative day, April 10), 2024
Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Ms. Butler, Mr.
Cardin, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan,
Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Sanders, Ms.
Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Welch, and Mr.
Wyden) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
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) According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment,
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 impacts 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 3,500,000 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 3,500,000 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 science teachers and
45 percent of high school science teachers understand the
extent of the scientific consensus on climate change.
(11) Section 4002(a) of the America COMPETES Act (33 U.S.C.
893a(a)) requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to ``conduct, develop, support, promote, and
coordinate formal and informal educational activities at all
levels''.
(12) The existing Environmental Literacy Program of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was established
in 2005 by the Bush administration as a backbone to an agency
effort to advance sound environmental education for children
and adults.
(13) Expanding the popular Environmental Literacy Program
(less than 5 percent of applications in 2020 received funding)
to include climate education for professional educators and
students is within the established expertise of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and will effectively
leverage critical resources for foundational learning and
career preparation.
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 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.
(3) 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.
(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 section 501(a) of that Code.
SEC. 4. CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration shall establish a Climate Change Education Program
within the Office of Education of the Administration 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,
jobs, career training, programs, and incentives related to
climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate
resilience, climate justice, and environmental justice.
SEC. 5. GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, 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 award
grants to, or establish cooperative agreements with, the following:
(1) State educational agencies, in partnership with local
educational agencies and local nonprofit organizations, and,
subject to subsection (c), local educational agencies--
(A) for the development and implementation of
aspects of climate literacy plans for grades 4 through
12 formal and nonformal climate change education that--
(i) are aligned with State education
standards; and
(ii) ensure that students graduate from
high school with climate literacy; and
(B) for the implementation of projects that--
(i) in the case of State educational
agencies, include--
(I) relevant training and
professional development for educators,
which may include tiered mentorship
frameworks;
(II) integration of key climate
change concepts into State education
standards for science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM),
civics and social studies, career and
technical education, and other relevant
subject areas during the next revision
of such standards;
(III) development of climate change
education frameworks and model
curricula and curation and
dissemination of existing such
frameworks and curricula;
(IV) creation of applied learning
project-based models, particularly
those that allow for student leadership
in project development and applied
field work, such as models making
optimum use of green features
improvements, such as low-cost
environmental monitoring sensors, to
school facilities such as energy
systems, lighting systems, food
systems, water management systems,
waste management systems, and school
grounds; and
(V) incorporation of climate change
mitigation and green technologies into
new and existing high-quality career
and technical education career pathways
and work-based learning experiences in
high-demand climate-related jobs,
including development of partnerships
with labor organizations, trade
organizations, and apprenticeship
programs; and
(ii) in the case of local educational
agencies--
(I) develop, modify, or implement
district-level plans to advance climate
change education that consider
facilities, curriculum, environmental
health, professional development for
educators, student experiences, and
equity; and
(II) support community partnerships
among local educational agencies,
nonformal education providers,
community-based organizations, and
other partners to advance climate
change education priorities.
(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 term of
the grant or cooperative agreement;
(C) involve significant student input in the
project development process;
(D) are inclusive for all segments of the
population; and
(E) 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) Communities of Practice.--The Climate Change Education Program
shall establish communities of practice with respect to each of
paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) in order to accelerate
learning.
(c) Local Educational Agencies.--The Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may not award a grant to, or
establish a cooperative agreement with, a local educational agency in
any fiscal year under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) unless amounts
appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements under such
subsection for that fiscal year exceed $5,000,000.
(d) Allocation of Amounts.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2),
amounts appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements
under subsection (a) shall be allocated as follows:
(A) 50 percent for grants and cooperative
agreements under paragraph (1) of such subsection.
(B) 30 percent for grants and cooperative
agreements under paragraph (2) of such subsection.
(C) 10 percent for grants and cooperative
agreements under paragraph (3) of such subsection.
(D) 10 percent for grants and cooperative
agreements under paragraph (4) of such subsection.
(2) Exception.--If amounts appropriated for grants and
cooperative agreements under subsection (a) do not exceed
$5,000,000 in any fiscal year, the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may use in that
fiscal year--
(A) 60 percent of such amounts for grants and
cooperative agreements under paragraph (1) of such
subsection; and
(B) 40 percent of such amounts for grants and
cooperative agreements under paragraph (2) of such
subsection.
(3) Environmental justice communities.--40 percent of all
amounts allocated for grants and cooperative agreements under
paragraphs (2) and (4) of subsection (a) shall be directed into
environmental justice communities.
(e) Grant and Cooperative Agreement Minimum.--If amounts
appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements under subsection (a)
exceed $5,000,000 in any fiscal year, any grant awarded to, or
cooperative agreement established with, an entity under paragraph (1)
of such subsection shall provide the entity a minimum of $1,000,000 in
that fiscal year.
SEC. 6. ANNUAL 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.
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 2025 through 2030.
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