[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1492 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1492

    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
 establish a pilot program to make grants to eligible institutions to 
develop, demonstrate, or disseminate information on practices, methods, 
 or techniques relating to environmental education and training in the 
                       Chesapeake Bay watershed.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 26, 2005

  Mr. Sarbanes (for himself, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Allen) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
 establish a pilot program to make grants to eligible institutions to 
develop, demonstrate, or disseminate information on practices, methods, 
 or techniques relating to environmental education and training in the 
                       Chesapeake Bay watershed.

    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 ``Chesapeake Bay Environmental 
Education Pilot Program Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) increasing public environmental awareness and 
        understanding through formal environmental education and 
        meaningful bay or stream field experiences are vital parts of 
        the effort to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem;
            (2) using the Chesapeake Bay watershed as an integrating 
        context for learning can help--
                    (A) advance student learning skills;
                    (B) improve academic achievement in core academic 
                subjects; and
                    (C)(i) encourage positive behavior of students in 
                school; and
                    (ii) encourage environmental stewardship in school 
                and in the community; and
            (3) the Federal Government, acting through the Secretary of 
        Education, should work with the Under Secretary for Oceans and 
        Atmosphere, the Chesapeake Executive Council, State educational 
        agencies, elementary schools and secondary schools, and 
        nonprofit educational and environmental organizations to 
        support development of curricula, teacher training, special 
        projects, and other activities, to increase understanding of 
        the Chesapeake Bay watershed and to improve awareness of 
        environmental problems.

SEC. 3. CHESAPEAKE BAY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANT PILOT 
              PROGRAM.

    Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

  ``PART D--CHESAPEAKE BAY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANT 
                             PILOT PROGRAM

``SEC. 4401. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this part:
            ``(1) Bay watershed state.--The term `Bay Watershed State' 
        means each of the States of Delaware, Maryland, New York, 
        Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, and the District of 
        Columbia.
            ``(2) Chesapeake executive council.--The term `Chesapeake 
        Executive Council' has the meaning given the term in section 
        307(d) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 1511d(d)).
            ``(3) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
        institution' means--
                    ``(A) a public elementary school or secondary 
                school located in a Bay Watershed State; and
                    ``(B) a nonprofit environmental or educational 
                organization located in a Bay Watershed State.
            ``(4) Program.--The term `Program' means the Chesapeake Bay 
        Environmental Education and Training Grant Pilot Program 
        established under section 4402.

``SEC. 4402. CHESAPEAKE BAY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANT 
              PILOT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a grant program, 
to be known as the `Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education and Training 
Grant Pilot Program', to make grants to eligible institutions to pay 
the Federal share of the cost of developing, demonstrating, or 
disseminating information on practices, methods, or techniques relating 
to environmental education and training in the Chesapeake Bay 
watershed.
    ``(b) Federal Share.--The Federal share referred to in subsection 
(a) shall be 50 percent.
    ``(c) Administration.--The Secretary may offer to enter into a 
cooperative agreement or contract with the National Fish and Wildlife 
Foundation established by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 
Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), the Under Secretary for 
Oceans and Atmosphere, a State educational agency, or a nonprofit 
organization that carries out environmental education and training 
programs, for administration of the Program.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible institution that receives a grant 
under the Program shall use the funds made available through the grant 
to carry out a project consisting of--
            ``(1) design, demonstration, or dissemination of 
        environmental curricula, including development of educational 
        tools or materials;
            ``(2) design or demonstration of field practices, methods, 
        or techniques, including--
                    ``(A) assessments of environmental or ecological 
                conditions; and
                    ``(B) analyses of environmental pollution or other 
                natural resource problems;
            ``(3) understanding and assessment of a specific 
        environmental issue or a specific environmental problem;
            ``(4) provision of training or related education for 
        teachers or other educational personnel, including provision of 
        programs or curricula to meet the needs of students in various 
        age groups or at various grade levels;
            ``(5) provision of an environmental education seminar, 
        teleconference, or workshop for environmental education 
        professionals or environmental education students, or provision 
        of a computer network for such professionals and students;
            ``(6) provision of on-the-ground activities involving 
        students and teachers, such as--
                    ``(A) riparian forest buffer restoration; and
                    ``(B) volunteer water quality monitoring at 
                schools;
            ``(7) provision of a Chesapeake Bay or stream outdoor 
        educational experience; or
            ``(8) development of distance learning or other courses or 
        workshops that are acceptable in all Bay Watershed States and 
        apply throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
    ``(e) Required Elements of Program.--In carrying out the Program, 
the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) solicit applications for projects;
            ``(2) select suitable projects from among the projects 
        proposed;
            ``(3) supervise projects;
            ``(4) evaluate the results of projects; and
            ``(5) disseminate information on the effectiveness and 
        feasibility of the practices, methods, and techniques addressed 
        by the projects.
    ``(f) Solicitation of Applications.--Not later than 90 days after 
the date on which amounts are first made available to carry out this 
part, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a notice of 
solicitation for applications for grants under the Program that 
specifies the information to be included in each application.
    ``(g) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the 
Program, an eligible institution shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require.
    ``(h) Priority in Selection of Projects.--In making grants under 
the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to an applicant that 
proposes a project that will develop--
            ``(1) a new or significantly improved environmental 
        education practice, method, or technique, in multiple 
        disciplines, or a program that assists appropriate entities and 
        individuals in meeting Federal or State academic standards 
        relating to environmental education;
            ``(2) an environmental education practice, method, or 
        technique that may have wide application; and
            ``(3) an environmental education practice, method, or 
        technique that addresses a skill or scientific field identified 
        as a priority by the Chesapeake Executive Council.
    ``(i) Maximum Amount of Grants.--Under the Program, the maximum 
amount of a grant shall be $50,000.
    ``(j) Notification.--Not later than 3 days before making a grant 
under this part, the Secretary shall provide notification of the grant 
to the appropriate committees of Congress.
    ``(k) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Education Pilot Program 
Act, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations concerning 
implementation of the Program.

``SEC. 4403. EVALUATION AND REPORT.

    ``(a) Evaluation.--Not later than December 31, 2009, the Secretary 
shall enter into a contract with an entity that is not the recipient of 
a grant under this part to conduct a detailed evaluation of the 
Program. In conducting the evaluation, the Secretary shall determine 
whether the quality of content, delivery, and outcome of the Program 
warrant continued support of the Program.
    ``(b) Report.--Not later than December 31, 2010, the Secretary 
shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress 
containing the results of the evaluation.

``SEC. 4404. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this part $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009.
    ``(b) Administrative Expenses.--Of the amounts made available under 
subsection (a) for each fiscal year, not more than 10 percent may be 
used for administrative expenses.''.
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