[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4117 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2nd Session
                                S. 4117

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               April 11 (legislative day, April 10), 2024

 Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Ms. Butler, Mr. 
Cardin, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan, 
 Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Sanders, Ms. 
  Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Welch, and Mr. 
Wyden) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
       to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Administrator of 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) According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, 
        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 impacts 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 3,500,000 students graduate from high schools 
        and colleges in the United States 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 3,500,000 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 science teachers and 
        45 percent of high school science teachers understand the 
        extent of the scientific consensus on climate change.
            (11) Section 4002(a) of the America COMPETES Act (33 U.S.C. 
        893a(a)) requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration to ``conduct, develop, support, promote, and 
        coordinate formal and informal educational activities at all 
        levels''.
            (12) The existing Environmental Literacy Program of the 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was established 
        in 2005 by the Bush administration as a backbone to an agency 
        effort to advance sound environmental education for children 
        and adults.
            (13) Expanding the popular Environmental Literacy Program 
        (less than 5 percent of applications in 2020 received funding) 
        to include climate education for professional educators and 
        students is within the established expertise of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and will effectively 
        leverage critical resources for foundational learning and 
        career preparation.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Climate change education.--The term ``climate change 
        education'' means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary 
        learning at all age levels about--
                    (A) climate change, climate adaptation and 
                mitigation, climate resilience, and climate justice; 
                and
                    (B) the effects of climate change, climate 
                adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, and 
                climate justice on the environmental, energy, social, 
                and economic systems of the United States.
            (2) Climate justice.--The term ``climate justice'' means 
        the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, 
        regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, 
        with respect to the development, implementation, and 
        enforcement of policies and projects to ensure that each person 
        enjoys the same degree of protection from the adverse effects 
        of climate change.
            (3) Climate literacy.--The term ``climate literacy'' means 
        competence or knowledge of climate change, its causes and 
        impacts, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social 
        dynamics of promising solutions.
            (4) Environmental justice.--The term ``environmental 
        justice'' means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement 
        of all people, regardless of race, color, culture, national 
        origin, or income, with respect to the development, 
        implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, 
        regulations, and policies to ensure that each person enjoys--
                    (A) the same degree of protection from 
                environmental and health hazards; and
                    (B) equal access to any Federal agency action on 
                environmental justice issues in order to have a healthy 
                environment in which to live, learn, work, and 
                recreate.
            (5) Environmental justice community.--The term 
        ``environmental justice community'' means a community with 
        significant representation of communities of color, low-income 
        communities, or Tribal and indigenous communities that 
        experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more 
        adverse human health or environmental effects as compared to 
        other communities.
            (6) Green economy.--The term ``green economy'' means an 
        economy that results in improved human and economic well-being 
        and social equity by significantly reducing environmental risks 
        and ecological scarcities.
            (7) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (8) 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).
            (9) Nonformal.--The term ``nonformal'' means, with respect 
        to learning, out-of-school educational programming carried out 
        by nonprofit organizations and public agencies.
            (10) 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 section 501(a) of that Code.

SEC. 4. CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration shall establish a Climate Change Education Program 
within the Office of Education of the Administration 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, 
        disproportionate impacts of those 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 nonformal 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, 
        jobs, career training, programs, and incentives related to 
        climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate 
        resilience, climate justice, and environmental justice.

SEC. 5. GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, 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 award 
grants to, or establish cooperative agreements with, the following:
            (1) State educational agencies, in partnership with local 
        educational agencies and local nonprofit organizations, and, 
        subject to subsection (c), local educational agencies--
                    (A) for the development and implementation of 
                aspects of climate literacy plans for grades 4 through 
                12 formal and nonformal climate change education that--
                            (i) are aligned with State education 
                        standards; and
                            (ii) ensure that students graduate from 
                        high school with climate literacy; and
                    (B) for the implementation of projects that--
                            (i) in the case of State educational 
                        agencies, include--
                                    (I) relevant training and 
                                professional development for educators, 
                                which may include tiered mentorship 
                                frameworks;
                                    (II) integration of key climate 
                                change concepts into State education 
                                standards for science, technology, 
                                engineering, and mathematics (STEM), 
                                civics and social studies, career and 
                                technical education, and other relevant 
                                subject areas during the next revision 
                                of such standards;
                                    (III) development of climate change 
                                education frameworks and model 
                                curricula and curation and 
                                dissemination of existing such 
                                frameworks and curricula;
                                    (IV) creation of applied learning 
                                project-based models, particularly 
                                those that allow for student leadership 
                                in project development and applied 
                                field work, such as models making 
                                optimum use of green features 
                                improvements, such as low-cost 
                                environmental monitoring sensors, to 
                                school facilities such as energy 
                                systems, lighting systems, food 
                                systems, water management systems, 
                                waste management systems, and school 
                                grounds; and
                                    (V) incorporation of climate change 
                                mitigation and green technologies into 
                                new and existing high-quality career 
                                and technical education career pathways 
                                and work-based learning experiences in 
                                high-demand climate-related jobs, 
                                including development of partnerships 
                                with labor organizations, trade 
                                organizations, and apprenticeship 
                                programs; and
                            (ii) in the case of local educational 
                        agencies--
                                    (I) develop, modify, or implement 
                                district-level plans to advance climate 
                                change education that consider 
                                facilities, curriculum, environmental 
                                health, professional development for 
                                educators, student experiences, and 
                                equity; and
                                    (II) support community partnerships 
                                among local educational agencies, 
                                nonformal education providers, 
                                community-based organizations, and 
                                other partners to advance climate 
                                change education priorities.
            (2) Institutions of higher education and networks or 
        partnerships of such institutions to 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 priority given to 
        projects that--
                    (A) foster long-term campus-community partnerships;
                    (B) show potential to scale work beyond the term of 
                the grant or cooperative agreement;
                    (C) involve significant student input in the 
                project development process;
                    (D) are inclusive for all segments of the 
                population; and
                    (E) promote equitable and just outcomes.
            (3) Professional associations and academic disciplinary 
        societies 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.
            (4) Youth corps organizations to engage in community-based 
        climate mitigation and adaptation work that includes a 
        substantive educational component.
    (b) Communities of Practice.--The Climate Change Education Program 
shall establish communities of practice with respect to each of 
paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) in order to accelerate 
learning.
    (c) Local Educational Agencies.--The Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may not award a grant to, or 
establish a cooperative agreement with, a local educational agency in 
any fiscal year under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) unless amounts 
appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements under such 
subsection for that fiscal year exceed $5,000,000.
    (d) Allocation of Amounts.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        amounts appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements 
        under subsection (a) shall be allocated as follows:
                    (A) 50 percent for grants and cooperative 
                agreements under paragraph (1) of such subsection.
                    (B) 30 percent for grants and cooperative 
                agreements under paragraph (2) of such subsection.
                    (C) 10 percent for grants and cooperative 
                agreements under paragraph (3) of such subsection.
                    (D) 10 percent for grants and cooperative 
                agreements under paragraph (4) of such subsection.
            (2) Exception.--If amounts appropriated for grants and 
        cooperative agreements under subsection (a) do not exceed 
        $5,000,000 in any fiscal year, the Administrator of the 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may use in that 
        fiscal year--
                    (A) 60 percent of such amounts for grants and 
                cooperative agreements under paragraph (1) of such 
                subsection; and
                    (B) 40 percent of such amounts for grants and 
                cooperative agreements under paragraph (2) of such 
                subsection.
            (3) Environmental justice communities.--40 percent of all 
        amounts allocated for grants and cooperative agreements under 
        paragraphs (2) and (4) of subsection (a) shall be directed into 
        environmental justice communities.
    (e) Grant and Cooperative Agreement Minimum.--If amounts 
appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements under subsection (a) 
exceed $5,000,000 in any fiscal year, any grant awarded to, or 
cooperative agreement established with, an entity under paragraph (1) 
of such subsection shall provide the entity a minimum of $1,000,000 in 
that fiscal year.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT.

    Not later than 2 years 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 is authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to carry out this Act $50,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2025 through 2030.
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