Bill Summary
The Climate Change Education Act authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a Climate Change Education Program. This program aims to increase the understanding of climate change and its potential solutions, as well as provide opportunities for individuals of all ages to learn about climate change and its effects. The act also includes a grant program to support kindergarten through grade 12 education, higher education, and professional development in the field of climate change. It also requires NOAA to submit an annual report evaluating the effectiveness of the program. The act authorizes $20 million in funding for each fiscal year from 2020 to 2025.
Possible Impacts
1. The Climate Change Education Act could potentially increase awareness and understanding of climate change among students and the general public, leading to more support for environmental policies and actions.
2. The grant program established by the Act could provide opportunities for individuals of diverse backgrounds to receive training and education in green collar jobs, potentially creating more job opportunities and promoting economic growth.
3. The Act could potentially lead to the development of new technologies and programs related to climate change, which could have a positive impact on the environment and the economy.
[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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