I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2054 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 regarding 
environmental education, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 22, 2009 
Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. STARK, 
Mr. HARE, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. TIERNEY, Ms. LEE of 
California, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. 
OLVER, Mr. HOLT, Mr. KIND, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. 
POLIS of Colorado, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. WU, 
Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. 
HINOJOSA, Mr. FILNER, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. BISHOP of New 
York, Mr. HONDA, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. MORAN of Vir-
ginia, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. ELLISON, Ms. CLARKE, Mr. SIRES, Mr. 
CUMMINGS, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. MCGOV-
ERN, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. EHLERS, and Mr. PERLMUTTER) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 regarding environmental education, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘No Child Left Inside Act of 2009’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. References. 
Sec. 4. Authorization of appropriations. 
TITLE I—ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY PLANS 
Sec. 101. Development, approval, and implementation of State environmental 
literacy plans. 
TITLE II—ESTABLISHMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS 
Sec. 201. Environmental education professional development grant programs. 
TITLE III—ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM TO 
HELP BUILD NATIONAL CAPACITY 
Sec. 301. Environmental education grant program to help build national capac-
ity. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Environmental education is essential for— 
(A) enhancing student learning and prob-
lem solving skills, especially in science; 
(B) creating responsible and engaged citi-
zens; and 
(C) producing graduates who are prepared 
to address the challenges, adjustments, and op-
portunities that will be present in the life and 
the workforce of the 21st century due to threats 
to human health, economical development, bio-
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logical diversity, and national security arising 
from environmental stresses. 
(2) Studies documenting the increasing indica-
tors of nature deficit show that time spent out of the 
classroom for learning during the school day is crit-
ical to the intellectual, emotional, and physical 
health of children and that providing students with 
quality opportunities to directly experience the nat-
ural world can improve students’ overall readiness to 
learn and academic performance, as well as self-es-
teem, personal responsibility, community involve-
ment, personal health (including child obesity 
issues), and understanding of nature. 
(3) Fewer and fewer students are becoming in-
volved 
in 
important 
environmental 
education 
courses, classwork, and field investigations as an un-
intended consequence of the No Child Left Behind 
Act of 2001. 
(4) Hands-on, experience-based environmental 
education as part of the school curriculum connects 
children to the natural world, and research supports 
that time spent outdoors lessens the symptoms of 
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), 
reduces stress and aggression, helps children sleep 
better, and improves physical health. 
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(5) Environmental education ‘‘in the field’’ as 
part of the regular school curriculum gets kids out-
side contributing to healthy lifestyles through out-
door recreation, exercise, play and experience in the 
natural world that is critical to helping prevent obe-
sity and address other related health problems. 
(6) Environmental education for elementary 
and secondary school students is critical as our Na-
tion transitions to a green economy where manufac-
turing workers, as well as architects, engineers, 
planners, scientists, business managers, financial ex-
perts, lawyers, entrepreneurs, political leaders, re-
source managers, and others, must be environ-
mentally literate to succeed in a green economy. 
(7) Environmental education provides critical 
tools for a 21st century workforce by providing stu-
dents with the skills to understand complex environ-
mental issues so they may make informed decisions 
in their own lives and find solutions for real world 
challenges facing us as a nation. Business leaders 
also increasingly believe that an environmentally lit-
erate workforce is critical to their long-term success. 
Environmental education helps prepare students for 
real world challenges. 
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SEC. 3. REFERENCES. 
Except as otherwise specifically provided, whenever in 
this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or a repeal of, a section or other 
provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to 
a section or other provision of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.). 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out section 5622(g) and part E of title 
II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and each of the 
4 succeeding fiscal years. 
(b) DISTRIBUTION.—With respect to any amount ap-
propriated under subsection (a) for a fiscal year— 
(1) not more than 70 percent of such amount 
shall be used to carry out section 5622(g) of the El-
ementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 for 
such fiscal year; and 
(2) not less than 30 percent of such amount 
shall be used to carry out part E of title II of such 
Act for such fiscal year. 
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TITLE I—ENVIRONMENTAL 
LITERACY PLANS 
SEC. 101. DEVELOPMENT, APPROVAL, AND IMPLEMENTA-
TION OF STATE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY 
PLANS. 
Part D of title V (20 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Subpart 22—Environmental Literacy Plans 
‘‘SEC. 5621. ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY PLAN REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
‘‘In order for any State educational agency, or a local 
educational agency served by a State educational agency, 
to receive grant funds, either directly or through participa-
tion in a partnership with a recipient of grant funds, 
under this subpart or part E of title II, the State edu-
cational agency shall meet the requirements regarding an 
environmental literacy plan under section 5622. 
‘‘SEC. 5622. STATE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY PLANS. 
‘‘(a) SUBMISSION OF PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of the No Child Left Inside 
Act of 2009, a State educational agency subject to 
the requirements of section 5621 shall, in consulta-
tion with State environmental agencies and State 
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natural resource agencies, and with input from the 
public— 
‘‘(A) submit an environmental literacy plan 
for prekindergarten through grade 12 to the 
Secretary for peer review and approval that will 
ensure that elementary and secondary school 
students in the State are environmentally lit-
erate; and 
‘‘(B) begin the implementation of such 
plan in the State. 
‘‘(2) EXISTING
PLANS.—A State may satisfy 
the requirement of paragraph (1)(A) by submitting 
to the Secretary for peer review an existing State 
plan that has been developed in cooperation with a 
State environmental or natural resource manage-
ment agency, if such plan complies with this section. 
‘‘(b) PLAN OBJECTIVES.—A State environmental lit-
eracy plan shall meet the following objectives: 
‘‘(1) Prepare students to understand, analyze, 
and address the major environmental challenges fac-
ing the students’ State and the United States. 
‘‘(2) Provide field experiences as part of the 
regular school curriculum and create programs that 
contribute to healthy lifestyles through outdoor 
recreation and sound nutrition. 
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‘‘SEC. 
2502. 
GRANTS 
FOR 
ENHANCING 
EDUCATION 
THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—In 
this section, the term ‘eligible partnership’ means a part-
nership that— 
‘‘(1) shall include a local educational agency; 
and 
‘‘(2) may include— 
‘‘(A) the teacher training department of an 
institution of higher education; 
‘‘(B) the environmental department of an 
institution of higher education; 
‘‘(C) another local educational agency, a 
public charter school, a public elementary 
school or secondary school, or a consortium of 
such schools; 
‘‘(D) a Federal, State, regional, or local 
environmental or natural resource management 
agency that has demonstrated effectiveness in 
improving the quality of environmental edu-
cation teachers; or 
‘‘(E) a nonprofit organization that has 
demonstrated effectiveness in improving the 
quality of environmental education teachers. 
‘‘(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
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