I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 579 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 15, 2009 Mr. Holt (for himself, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Lee of California, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Berman, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Loebsack, Mr. Honda, Mr. Inslee, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Sires, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Gordon of Tennessee, Mr. Polis of Colorado, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Connolly of Virginia, Mr. Wu, and Ms. Clarke) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To provide for grants from the Secretary of Education to State and local educational agencies for EnergySmart schools and Energy Star programs.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the School Building Enhancement Act.

2.

Grant program

The Secretary of Education may provide grants— (1)to State educational agencies and local educational agencies for providing intensive technical assistance for, and assisting the implementation of, the EnergySmart Schools Program of the Department of Energy and the Energy Star for K–12 School Districts program of the Environmental Protection Agency; (2)to local educational agencies that become partners through the Energy Star for K–12 School Districts program of the Environmental Protection Agency; and (3)to State educational agencies for use in the development of State-level school energy efficiency quality plans, in partnership with the Department of Energy, including— (A)standards for school building design, construction, and renovation; and (B)proposals for the systematic improvement (including benchmarks and timelines) of environmental conditions in and around schools throughout the State, including— (i)environmentally preferable purchasing of products for instruction and maintenance; (ii)increasing the use of alternative energy fuels in school buses; and (iii)maximization of transportation choices for students, staff, and other members of the community.

3.

Federal share

The Federal share of the cost of a project or activity carried out using funds from a grant under this Act shall not exceed 90 percent.

4.

Grant priority

In providing grants under section 2(1), the Secretary of Education shall give priority to projects to provide assistance to school districts that have a demonstrated need for energy efficiency improvement.

5.

Definition

For purposes of this Act, the terms State educational agency and local educational agency have the meanings given those terms in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

6.

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Education to carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary for the period encompassing fiscal years 2009 through 2014.