[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 477 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 477

  To authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to 
 establish a Climate Change Education Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 13, 2019

 Mr. Markey (for himself, Ms. Harris, Ms. Warren, Mr. Van Hollen, Mrs. 
 Shaheen, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. 
  Feinstein, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Cardin, Ms. 
 Hirono, and Mr. Leahy) introduced the following bill; which was read 
     twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize 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) 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 impact 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 3,000,000 students graduate from high schools 
        and colleges 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 3,000,000 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 and 45 percent of 
        high school science teachers understand the extent of the 
        scientific consensus on climate change.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Climate change education.--The term ``climate change 
        education'' means informal and formal interdisciplinary 
        learning at all age levels about--
                    (A) climate change, climate adaptation and 
                mitigation, and climate resilience; and
                    (B) the effects of climate change, climate 
                adaptation and mitigation, and climate resilience on 
                the environmental, energy, social, and economic systems 
                of the United States.
            (2) Green collar job.--The term ``green collar job'' means 
        a job--
                    (A) in a business that produces goods or provides 
                services that benefit the environment or conserve 
                natural resources; or
                    (B) in which the duties of the worker involve 
                making the production processes of the employer more 
                environmentally friendly or use fewer natural 
                resources.
            (3) Green economy.--The term ``green economy'' means an 
        economy that results in improved human well-being and social 
        equity by significantly reducing environmental risks and 
        ecological scarcities.
            (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (5) 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).
            (6) 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 501(a) of that Code.

SEC. 4. CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration shall establish a Climate Change Education Program 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 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 informal 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, 
        programs, and incentives related to climate change, climate 
        adaptation and mitigation, and climate resilience.

SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--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 make 
grants--
            (1) to States to encourage and support plans and programs 
        for kindergarten through grade 12 formal and informal climate 
        change education--
                    (A) to ensure that students graduate from high 
                school with high climate literacy, including--
                            (i) relevant teacher training and 
                        professional development;
                            (ii) science, technology, engineering, arts 
                        and design, and mathematics education; and
                            (iii) interdisciplinary studies; and
                    (B) with a particular focus on programs that 
                advance widespread State and local educational agency 
                adoption of climate change education, including funding 
                for State educational agencies in partnership with 
                local educational agencies and local nonprofit 
                organizations to--
                            (i) integrate key principles of climate 
                        change education into existing kindergarten 
                        through grade 12 State academic content 
                        standards, student academic achievement 
                        standards, or State curriculum frameworks;
                            (ii) create model State climate change 
                        curricula;
                            (iii) develop and implement State teacher 
                        training programs; and
                            (iv) support secondary school preparation 
                        or work-based experiences in green collar jobs; 
                        and
            (2) to institutions of higher education to--
                    (A) improve the quality of and access to training, 
                certification, and higher education for green collar 
                jobs in the future green economy, such as green 
                construction, design, technology, health, engineering, 
                business, and policy studies, including sustainability 
                science, and with a particular focus on programs that 
                address restructuring institutional incentives and 
                reducing institutional barriers to widespread faculty 
                adoption of interdisciplinary teaching of climate 
                change education; and
                    (B) 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 a priority focus 
                on communities impacted by climate change; and
            (3) to professional associations 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.
    (b) Climate Change Education Office.--There shall be, within the 
Office of Education of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, a Climate Change Education Office to administer the 
grant program required by subsection (a).

SEC. 6. REPORT.

    Not later than one year 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 are authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2025 to carry out this Act.
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