[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3611 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3611

To establish the California Urban Environmental Research and Education 
                                Center.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 21, 1993

Mr. Stark (for himself, Mr. Dellums, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Horn, Mr. Matsui, 
    Mr. Lantos, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Hamburg, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Miller of 
  California, Mr. Fazio, Mr. Gallegly, and Mr. Mineta) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on 
         Science, Space, and Technology and Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the California Urban Environmental Research and Education 
                                Center.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) California rapid population growth and the lack of 
        understanding about the environmental impacts of this growth 
        have caused a number of serious present and potential barriers 
        to future economic development of California.
            (2) California has great environmental complexity and 
        diversity and a great variety of human interventions in its 
        ecosystem.
            (3) Future environmental policies for California must be 
        informed by careful cost-benefit analysis that considers the 
        serious risks, and the benefits, of environmental policy.
            (4) The establishment of a California Urban Environmental 
        Research and Education Center would promote environmentally 
        sound economic development in California and ensure that 
        continued sustainable economic development can occur.
            (5) Due to the closing of many military facilities and 
        installations in California, such a Center can provide 
        important assistance to the process of converting defense 
        resources to non-defense uses.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall establish the California Urban Environmental 
Research and Training Center.
    (b) Cooperative Agreement.--
            (1) Authority.--If the California State University, Hayward 
        consents to the agreement and provides the matching funds 
        required by paragraph (2), the Administrator shall enter into a 
        cooperative agreement with the California State University, 
        Hayward to establish the Center. The California State 
        University, Hayward shall work in close cooperation with other 
        universities of the California State University system 
        (including the California State Universities at Sacramento, San 
        Jose, San Francisco, and Sonoma) in the research and policy 
        analysis performed under any such cooperative agreement.
            (2) Matching funds.--In order to receive the cooperative 
        agreement described in paragraph (1), the California State 
        University, Hayward, shall guarantee matching funds or in-kind 
        resources equal to 20 percent of the funds received from the 
        Center. The Center and the California State University, Hayward 
        shall, to the maximum extent practicable, solicit additional 
        funds or in-kind contributions from State, local, and private 
        sources to increase the ability of the Center to conduct 
        research and education projects under this Act.
            (3) Membership.--A university in the California State 
        University system or a university in California which is not a 
        university in the California State University system may become 
        a member of the Center under such guidelines and conditions as 
        are reasonable and mutually agreeable to the Center and the 
        university.
    (c) Governing Board.--
            (1) Initial appointments.--For the two-year period 
        beginning on the date of the establishment of the Center, the 
        Center shall have a Governing Board composed of the following:
                    (A) The Executive Director of the Center.
                    (B) One member appointed by the President of the 
                California State University, Hayward.
                    (C) One member appointed by the President of the 
                California State University, Sacramento.
                    (D) One member appointed by the President of the 
                California State University, San Jose.
                    (E) One member appointed by the President of the 
                California State University, San Francisco.
                    (F) One member appointed by the President of the 
                California State University, Sonoma.
            (2) Subsequent appointments.--After the two-year period 
        referred to in paragraph (1), the composition of the Governing 
        Board shall be determined by the sitting members of the 
        Governing Board, in consultation with the Presidents of each 
        university of the California State University system.
            (3) Duties.--It shall be the duty of the Governing Board--
                    (A) to establish criteria for membership in the 
                Center;
                    (B) to establish criteria and requirements for the 
                contribution of Matching funds or in kind contributions 
                by member universities and those applying for 
                membership in the Center;
                    (C) to establish guidelines for fair representation 
                on the Governing Board of universities that are not 
                universities of the California State University system;
                    (D) to establish how scholarships, fellowships, and 
                grants will be awarded by the Center; and
                    (E) to perform such other duties as the Governing 
                Board considers necessary to carry out the functions of 
                the Center under this Act.
    (d) Executive Director; Staff.--
            (1) Executive Director.--The Center shall have an Executive 
        Director who shall be appointed for a five-year term. The 
        President of the California State University, Hayward shall 
        make the initial appointment of an Executive Director for a 
        five-year term beginning on the date of the establishment of 
        the Center. The Governing Board shall appoint each Executive 
        Director appointed after the initial appointment.
            (2) Staff.--The Executive Director shall annually submit to 
        the Governing Board a budget. The Governing Board shall approve 
        the budget each year.
    (e) Principal Office.--A principal office and education conference 
facility for the Center may be located in the Presidio in San 
Francisco, California. The use of the Presidio as a pricipal office and 
education conference facility for the Center should be considered as 
part of the planning process for uses for the Presidio.
    (f) Before the end of the two-year period beginning on the date of 
the establishment of the Center, the Governing Board shall establish a 
second office and facility to be located in Southern California, 
convenient to member universities.

SEC. 3. FUNCTIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Center shall have the following functions:
            (1) To develop an ongoing program of environmental 
        research, education, and outreach that can be used by the 
        Federal Government, State and local governments, and the 
        private sector to ensure that future government policies to 
        encourage economic development in California are grounded on 
        sound, sustainable environmental and economic principles.
            (2) To foster public-private partnerships to find solutions 
        to the environmental problems of California.
            (3) To bring together researchers from the members of the 
        Center to focus on the most important environmental problems of 
        California related to sustainable economic development, with 
        the aim of analysis and synthesis of policy implications and 
        dissemination of research findings.
            (4) To support the following activities:
                    (A) The coordination and funding of research 
                activities of universities for collaborative collection 
                and evaluation of data on Californias geology, 
                hydrology, soils, biology, weather and climate, natural 
                hazards, demography, infrastructure, resource use, 
                land-use patterns, land-ownership patterns, business 
                development, environmental equity, and regulatory 
                zones.
                    (B) The analysis of public policy implications of 
                economic development programs that affect the ecology 
                of California.
                    (C) The conduct of seminars and other educational 
                programs for policy makers in the Federal Government, 
                State and local governments, and the private sector on 
                the implications of the findings and conclusions 
                derived from the Center's activities. The Center shall 
                use electronic technology, such as computer networks 
                and video conferencing, to convey the cumulative 
                findings and conclusions derived from the Center's 
                activities and to foster an exchange of ideas.
                    (D) The conduct, not more than once each year, of a 
                national conference on ecology and sustainable economic 
                development for business and labor leaders to foster an 
                exchange of ideas and information.
                    (E) The provision of ready access to the Center's 
                collective expertise for policy makers in the Federal 
                Government and State and local governments, and for 
                representatives of private- and public-sector 
                organizations, through meetings, publications, special 
                reports, video, electronic mail, computer networks, and 
                other means to share up-to-date information on research 
                findings and policy development for sustainable 
                economic development.
                    (F) The development of educational programs, 
                curricula, and instructional materials for colleges, 
                universities, and other educational institutions to 
                impart the knowledge and skills required to implement 
                environmentally sustainable economic development.
                    (G) The development of bachelors and masters degree 
                programs for individuals who have lost or may lose 
                employment as a result of cutbacks in defense spending 
                to prepare such individuals for employment as 
                environmental professionals, and the development of 
                certification programs in environmental sciences and 
                studies for such individuals.
                    (H) The preparation of minority students for 
                environmental professions, including the development of 
                an enriched curriculum in the environmental sciences at 
                the baccalaureate and post-graduate levels for 
                underrepresented minority students to prepare such 
                students for careers in various environmental areas, 
                such as environmental health and the clean-up of 
                military installations and facilities.
                    (I) The development and administration of a 
                national repository of information on key environmental 
                and related economic development issues that can be 
                readily accessed by private- and public-sector 
                entities, including the imposition, if necessary, of a 
                fee for users of the repository to cover the cost of 
                its operation.
            (5) To work closely with other university research centers 
        for which funds have been provided by the Environmental 
        Protection Agency to help establish a National Environmental 
        Outreach Program to assist the Federal Government, State and 
        local governments, and the private sector in programs and 
        projects designed to promote environmentally sound economic 
        development.
            (6) To work closely with Federally-funded research centers, 
        such as the Lawrence-Livermore National Research Laboratory, to 
        foster the transfer and application of environmental technology 
        to the private sector.
            (7) To assist small businesses in meeting environmental 
        regulations by providing short courses and conferences and to 
        develop methods and models by which small businesses may 
        finance ``green'' investment where private-sector funds are 
        otherwise not generally available.
            (8) To work closely, as requested, with public-sector 
        officials, private-sector businesses, and individuals seeking 
        alternative uses for military installations and facilities that 
        have been or are about to be closed to assist in planning the 
        environmental aspects of the conversion and clean-up of the 
        installations and facilities.
            (9) During its first year, to develop a plan, in 
        conjunction with other universities to extend the activities of 
        the Center throughout the State within two years. The plan 
        shall pay particular attention to the need for environmentally 
        sound conversion and economic use of military installations and 
        facilities throughout the State.
    (b) Scholarships and Fellowships.--
            (1) Scholarships.--The Center may provide for the award of 
        undergraduate scholarships for individuals studying in 
        environmental fields at universities that are members of the 
        Center. Individuals who have lost or may lose employment as a 
        result of the closing of a military installation or facility in 
        the State of California shall have a preference over other 
        individuals in the award of scholarships under this paragraph.
            (2) Fellowships.--The Center may provide for the award of 
        graduate assistantships and fellowships at the Center to 
        encourage study in fields related to sustainable economic 
        development and the award of research grants to faculty to 
        encourage research critical to fulfillment of the activities 
        and aims of the Center.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    The Center shall annually submit to the Administrator a report on 
the activities of the Center and on any changing budget needs. The 
Center shall include in the first report submitted under this 
subsection a statement of any additional funds that may be required to 
extend the activities of the Center throughout the State.

SEC. 5. GIFTS AND DONATIONS.

    The Center may receive funds and other property donated, 
bequeathed, or devised to the Center with or without a condition of 
restriction, for the purpose of furthering the activities of the 
Center. All funds donated, bequeathed, or devised to the Center shall 
be retained in a separate account. Each annual report submitted 
pursuant to section 4 shall include an accounting of the funds and 
property donated, bequeathed, or devised to the Center during the year 
covered by the annual report.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) The term ``Center'' means the California Urban 
        Environmental Research and Education Center established 
        pursuant to section 2.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $2,500,000 for fiscal year 1995 and such sums as may be 
necessary for each of fiscal years 1996 through 1999.
    (b) Availability.--Funds appropriated pursuant to the authority of 
subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.
    (c) Matching Funds.--The Center shall make a good faith effort to 
match the amount of funds appropriated pursuant to this section with 
funding from State and local governments and the private sector.

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