118 S4117 IS: Climate Change Education Act
U.S. Senate
2024-04-11
text/xml
EN
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II
118th CONGRESS
2nd Session
S. 4117
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. Luján, 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.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Climate Change Education Act”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.