I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 579 
To provide for grants from the Secretary of Education to State and local 
educational agencies for EnergySmart schools and Energy Star programs. 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘School Building En-
hancement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 
The Secretary of Education may provide grants— 
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(1) to State educational agencies and local edu-
cational agencies for providing intensive technical as-
sistance 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 improve-
ment (including benchmarks and timelines) of 
environmental conditions in and around schools 
throughout the State, including— 
(i) environmentally preferable pur-
chasing of products for instruction and 
maintenance; 
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(ii) increasing the use of alternative 
energy fuels in school buses; and 
(iii) maximization of transportation 
choices for students, staff, and other mem-
bers of the community. 
SEC. 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. 
SEC. 4. GRANT PRIORITY. 
In providing grants under section 2(1), the Secretary 
of Education shall give priority to projects to provide as-
sistance to school districts that have a demonstrated need 
for energy efficiency improvement. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITION. 
For purposes of this Act, the terms ‘‘State edu-
cational agency’’ and ‘‘local educational agency’’ have the 
meanings given those terms in section 9101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801). 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Education to carry out this Act such sums as 
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may be necessary for the period encompassing fiscal years 
2009 through 2014. 
Æ 
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