[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1946 Referred in House (RFH)]
2d Session
S. 1946
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 2, 2000
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the National Environmental Education Act to redesignate that
Act as the ``John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act'', to establish
the John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program, to extend the programs
under that Act, 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.
(a) This Act.--This Act may be cited as the ``John H. Chafee
Environmental Education Act of 2000''.
(b) National Environmental Education Act.--Section 1(a) of the
National Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5501 note) is amended
by striking ``National Environmental Education Act'' and inserting
``John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act''.
SEC. 2. OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.
Section 4 of the John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (20
U.S.C. 5503) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``balanced and
scientifically sound'' after ``support'';
(B) by striking paragraph (6);
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (13) as
paragraphs (6) through (12), respectively; and
(D) in paragraph (12) (as so redesignated), by
inserting before the period at the end the following:
``through the headquarters and the regional offices of
the Agency''; and
(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
``(c) Staff.--The Office of Environmental Education shall--
``(1) include a headquarters staff of not more than 10
full-time equivalent employees; and
``(2) be supported by 1 full-time equivalent employee in
each regional office of the Agency.
``(d) Activities.--The Administrator may carry out the activities
described in subsection (b) directly or through awards of grants,
cooperative agreements, or contracts.''.
SEC. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANTS.
Section 6 of the John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (20
U.S.C. 5505) is amended--
(1) in the second sentence of subsection (i), by striking
``25 percent'' and inserting ``15 percent''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(j) Lobbying Activities.--A grant under this section may not be
used to support a lobbying activity (as described in the documents
issued by the Office of Management and Budget and designated as OMB
Circulars No. A-21 and No. A-122).
``(k) Guidance Review.--Before the Administrator issues any
guidance to grant applicants, the guidance shall be reviewed and
approved by the Science Advisory Board of the Agency established by
section 8 of the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration
Authorization Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 4365).''.
SEC. 4. JOHN H. CHAFEE MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 7 of the John H. Chafee Environmental
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5506) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 7. JOHN H. CHAFEE MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established the John H. Chafee
Memorial Fellowship Program for the award and administration of 5
annual 1-year higher education fellowships in environmental sciences,
to be known as `John H. Chafee Fellowships'.
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the John H. Chafee Memorial
Fellowship Program is to stimulate innovative graduate level study and
the development of expertise in complex, relevant, and important
environmental issues and effective approaches to addressing those
issues through organized programs of guided independent study and
environmental research.
``(c) Award.--Each John H. Chafee Fellowship shall--
``(1) be made available to individual candidates through a
sponsoring institution and in accordance with an annual
competitive selection process established under subsection
(f)(3); and
``(2) be in the amount of $25,000.
``(d) Focus.--Each John H. Chafee Fellowship shall focus on--
``(1) effective land and resource management;
``(2) innovative open space preservation;
``(3) science associated with such worldwide issues as
global climate change and sustainable marine resources; or
``(4) any other issue that a sponsoring institution
determines to be appropriate.
``(e) Sponsoring Institutions.--Each year--
``(1) 2 John H. Chafee Fellowships shall be awarded by the
University of Rhode Island; and
``(2) 3 John H. Chafee Fellowships may be applied for
through any other sponsoring institution.
``(f) Panel.--
``(1) In general.--The National Environmental Education
Advisory Council established by section 9(a) shall establish
and administer the John H. Chafee Fellowship Panel.
``(2) Membership.--The Panel shall consist of 5 members,
appointed by a majority vote of members of the National
Environmental Education Advisory Council, of whom--
``(A) 2 members shall be professional educators in
higher education;
``(B) 2 members shall be environmental scientists;
and
``(C) 1 member shall be a public environmental
policy analyst.
``(3) Duties.--The Panel shall--
``(A) establish criteria for a competitive
selection process for recipients of John H. Chafee
Fellowships;
``(B) receive applications for John H. Chafee
Fellowships; and
``(C) annually review applications and select
recipients of John H. Chafee Fellowships.
``(g) Distribution of Funds.--The amount of each John H. Chafee
Fellowship shall be provided directly to each recipient selected by the
Panel upon receipt of a certification from the recipient that the
recipient will adhere to a specific and detailed plan of study and
research.
``(h) Funding.--From amounts made available under section
11(b)(1)(C) for each fiscal year, the Office of Environmental Education
shall make available--
``(1) $125,000 for John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowships; and
``(2) $25,000 to pay administrative expenses incurred in
carrying out the John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program.''.
(b) Definitions.--Section 3 of the John H. Chafee Environmental
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5502) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (12), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (13), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(14) `Panel' means the John H. Chafee Fellowship Panel
established under section 7(f);
``(15) `sponsoring institution' means an institution of
higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001));''.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. prec. 5501)
is amended by striking the item relating to section 7 and inserting the
following:
``Sec. 7. John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program.''.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AWARDS.
(a) In General.--Section 8 of the John H. Chafee Environmental
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5507) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 8. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AWARDS.
``(a) President's Environmental Youth Awards.--The Administrator
may establish a program for the granting and administration of awards,
to be known as `President's Environmental Youth Awards', to young
people in grades kindergarten through 12 to recognize outstanding
projects to promote local environmental awareness.
``(b) Teachers' Awards.--
``(1) In general.--The Chairman of the Council on
Environmental Quality, on behalf of the President, may
establish a program for the granting and administration of
awards to recognize--
``(A) teachers in elementary schools and secondary
schools who demonstrate excellence in advancing
environmental education through innovative approaches;
and
``(B) the local educational agencies of the
recognized teachers.
``(2) Eligibility.--One teacher, and the local education
agency employing the teacher, from each State, the District of
Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, shall be
eligible to be selected for an award under this subsection.''.
(b) Definitions.--Section 3 of the John H. Chafee Environmental
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5502) (as amended by section 4(b)) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
``(16) `elementary school' has the meaning given the term
in section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801); and
``(17) `secondary school' has the meaning given the term in
section 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).''.
(c) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. prec. 5501)
is amended by striking the item relating to section 8 and inserting the
following:
``Sec. 8. National environmental education awards.''.
SEC. 6. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL AND TASK FORCE.
Section 9 of the John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (20
U.S.C. 5508) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(2)--
(A) by striking ``(2) The'' and all that follows
through the end of the second sentence and inserting
the following:
``(2) Membership.--
``(A) In general.--The Advisory Council shall
consist of not more than 11 members appointed by the
Administrator after consultation with the Secretary.
``(B) Representatives of sectors.--To the maximum
extent practicable, the Administrator shall appoint to
the Advisory Council at least 1 member to represent
each of--
``(i) elementary schools and secondary
schools;
``(ii) colleges and universities;
``(iii) not-for-profit organizations
involved in environmental education;
``(iv) State departments of education and
natural resources;
``(v) business and industry; and
``(vi) senior Americans.'';
(B) in the third sentence, by striking ``A
representative'' and inserting the following:
``(C) Representative of the secretary.--A
representative''; and
(C) in the last sentence, by striking ``The
conflict'' and inserting the following:
``(D) Conflicts of interest.--The conflict'';
(2) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (2) and
inserting the following:
``(2) Membership.--Membership on the Task Force shall be
open to representatives of any Federal agency actively engaged
in environmental education.''; and
(3) in subsection (d), by striking ``(d)(1)'' and all that
follows through ``(2) The'' and inserting the following:
``(d) Meetings and Reports.--
``(1) In general.--The Advisory Council shall--
``(A) hold biennial meetings on timely issues
regarding environmental education; and
``(B) issue a report describing the proceedings of
each meeting and recommendations resulting from the
meeting.
``(2) Review and comment on draft reports.--The''.
SEC. 7. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING FOUNDATION.
(a) Change in Name.--
(1) In general.--Section 10 of the John H. Chafee
Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5509) is amended--
(A) by striking the section heading and inserting
the following:
``SEC. 10. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING FOUNDATION.'';
and
(B) in the first sentence of subsection (a)(1)(A),
by striking ``National Environmental Education and
Training Foundation'' and inserting ``National
Environmental Learning Foundation''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--
(A) The table of contents in section 1(b) of the
John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C.
prec. 5501) is amended by striking the item relating to
section 10 and inserting the following:
``Sec. 10. National Environmental Learning Foundation.''.
(B) Section 3 of the John H. Chafee Environmental
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5502) (as amended by section
4(b)) is amended--
(i) by striking paragraph (12) and
inserting the following:
``(12) `Foundation' means the National Environmental
Learning Foundation established by section 10;''; and
(ii) in paragraph (13), by striking
``National Environmental Education and Training
Foundation'' and inserting ``Foundation''.
(C) Section 11(c) of the John H. Chafee
Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5510(c)) is
amended by striking ``National Environmental Education
and Training Foundation'' and inserting ``Foundation''.
(b) Number of Directors.--Section 10(b)(1)(A) of the John H. Chafee
Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5509(b)(1)(A)) is amended in the
first sentence by striking ``13'' and inserting ``19''.
(c) Acknowledgment of Donors.--Section 10(d) of the John H. Chafee
Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5509(d)) is amended by striking
paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
``(3) Acknowledgment of donors.--The Foundation may
acknowledge receipt of donations by means of a listing of the
names of donors in materials distributed by the Foundation,
except that any such acknowledgment--
``(A) shall not appear in educational material
presented to students; and
``(B) shall not identify a donor by means of a
logo, letterhead, or other corporate commercial symbol,
slogan, or product.''.
(d) Administrative Services and Support.--Section 10(e) of the John
H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5509(e)) is amended in
the first sentence by striking ``for a period of up to 4 years from the
date of enactment of this Act,''.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 11 of the John H. Chafee Environmental
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5510) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);
(2) by striking the section heading and subsections (a) and
(b) and inserting the following:
``SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Environmental Protection Agency to carry out this Act $10,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2000 through 2005.
``(b) Limitations.--
``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), of the amounts
made available under subsection (a) for each fiscal year--
``(A) not more than 25 percent may be used for the
activities of the Office of Environmental Education
established under section 4;
``(B) not more than 25 percent may be used for the
operation of the environmental education and training
program under section 5;
``(C) not less than 40 percent shall be used for
environmental education grants under section 6 and for
the John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program under
section 7; and
``(D) 10 percent shall be used for the activities
of the Foundation under sections 7 and 10.
``(2) Administrative expenses.--Of the amounts made
available under paragraph (1)(A) for each fiscal year, not more
than 25 percent may be used for administrative expenses of the
Office of Environmental Education.
``(c) Expense Report.--As soon as practicable after the end of each
fiscal year, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report
describing in detail the activities for which funds appropriated for
the fiscal year were expended.''; and
(3) in subsection (d)(2) (as so redesignated), by striking
``section 10(d) of this Act'' and inserting ``section 10(e)''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. prec. 5501)
is amended by striking the item relating to section 11 and inserting
the following:
``Sec. 11. Authorization of appropriations.''.
Passed the Senate April 27, 2000.
Attest:
GARY SISCO,
Secretary.