SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
ADMINISTRATOR.—The 
term 
‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration. 
(2) BAY-WATERSHED
EDUCATION.—The term 
‘‘bay-watershed education’’ means environmental edu-
cation focused on watersheds, with an emphasis on 
stewardship of critical coastal and marine resources, 
including an understanding of how climate change is 
impacting those resources. 
(3) B-WET PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘B-WET Pro-
gram’’ means the Bay-Watershed Education and 
Training Program of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration, as in effect immediately 
before the enactment of this Act and modified under 
this Act or any subsequently enacted Act. 
(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a State agency, local agency, school dis-
trict, institution of higher education, or for-profit or 
non-profit nongovernmental organization, consortium, 
or other entity that the Administrator finds has dem-
onstrated expertise and experience in the development 
of the institutional, intellectual, or policy resources to 
help environmental education become more effective 
and widely practiced. 
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(5) ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION.—The term 
‘‘environmental education’’ means interdisciplinary 
formal and informal learning about the relevant 
interrelationships between dynamic environmental 
and human systems, and which results in increasing 
the learner’s capacity for decisionmaking and stew-
ardship regarding natural and community resources. 
(6) ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY.—The term ‘‘en-
vironmental literacy’’ means the capacity to perceive 
and interpret the relative health of environmental sys-
tems and the interrelationships between natural and 
social systems and technology, and to assess options 
and take appropriate action to maintain, restore, or 
improve the health of those systems. 
(7) 
HIGH-LEVERAGE
PROJECTS.—The 
term 
‘‘high-leverage projects’’ means projects supported by 
grants authorized under this Act that use Federal, 
State and nongovernmental financial, technical, and 
other resources in such a manner that the potential 
beneficial outcomes are highly magnified or enhanced. 
(8) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the 
several States of the United States, the District of Co-
lumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin 
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, any other territory 
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or possession of the United States, and any Indian 
tribe. 
SEC. 4. ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall establish 
a national competitive grant program, to be known as the 
‘‘Environmental Literacy Grant Program’’, under which 
the Administrator shall provide, subject to the availability 
of appropriations, financial assistance to— 
(1) expand the adoption of coastal, ocean, Great 
Lakes, and climate on all time scales education; 
(2) build administrative and technical capacity 
with coastal, ocean, and watershed communities and 
stakeholder groups to enhance their effectiveness; 
(3) encourage water-dependent, wildlife-depend-
ent, and other outdoor recreation, experiential learn-
ing, and hands-on involvement with coastal and wa-
tershed resources as a method of promoting steward-
ship of those resources; and 
(4) develop and implement new approaches to 
advance coastal, ocean, Great Lakes, and climate on 
all time scales education and environmental literacy 
at national, regional, and local levels. 
(b) PRIORITIES.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Administrator shall give priority consideration to 
innovative, strategic, high-leverage projects that dem-
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onstrate strong potential for being sustained in the future 
by a grant recipient beyond the time period in which activi-
ties are carried out with the grant. 
(c) GUIDELINES.—No later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act and after consultation with 
appropriate stakeholders, the Administrator shall publish 
in the Federal Register guidelines regarding the implemen-
tation of this grant program, including publication of cri-
teria for eligible entities, identification of national prior-
ities, establishment of performance measures to evaluate 
program effectiveness, information regarding sources of 
non-Federal matching funds or in-kind contributions, and 
reporting requirements for grant award recipients. 
(d) LIMITATION
ON USE
OF FUNDS
BY ADMINIS-
TRATOR.—Of the amounts made available to implement 
this section— 
(1) no less than 80 percent shall be used for com-
petitive grants or cooperative agreements; 
(2) no more than 10 percent may be used by the 
Administrator to implement the grant program; and 
(3) no less than 10 percent of the annual funds 
appropriated for the program authorized under this 
section shall be used to fund contracts or cooperative 
agreements to conduct strategic planning, promote 
communications among grant recipients and within 
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communities, coordinate grant activities to foster an 
integrated program, and oversee national evaluation 
efforts. 
SEC. 5. B-WET PROGRAM. 
(a) EXISTING PROGRAM.—The Administrator shall 
conduct the B-WET Program, including each of the regional 
programs conducted or under active consideration for cre-
ation under such program immediately before the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(b) NEW REGIONAL PROGRAMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may cre-
ate new regional programs under the B-WET Pro-
gram in accordance with a strategy issued under this 
subsection. 
(2) STRATEGY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
issue a strategy for establishing such new re-
gional programs. 
(B) CONTENTS.—The strategy shall include 
the following: 
(i) Evaluation of the need for new re-
gional program in areas that are not served 
under the B-WET Program on the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
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(ii) Identification of potential new re-
gional programs, including a listing of po-
tential principal non-Federal partners. 
(iii) A comprehensive budget for future 
expansion of the B-WET Program over the 
period for which appropriations are author-
ized under this Act. 
(iv) Such other information as the Ad-
ministrator considers necessary. 
(C) CONSULTATION
AND
PUBLIC
COM-
MENT.—The Administrator shall consult with 
relevant stakeholders and provide opportunity 
for public comment in the development of the 
strategy. 
(D) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—The Ad-
ministrator shall submit the strategy to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate by not 
later than 270 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
(3) PRIORITY CONSIDERATION.—In creating new 
regional programs under this subsection, the Adminis-
trator shall give priority consideration to the needs 
of— 
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(A) United States territories, including 
Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa; 
(B) the Great Lakes States; 
(C) Alaska; and 
(D) the mid-Atlantic region. 
(c) MODIFICATION OF B-WET PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may mod-
ify or realign regional programs under the B-WET 
Program, based on— 
(A) changes in regional needs; 
(B) mutual interest between the Adminis-
trator and relevant stakeholders within a region 
or regions; 
(C) changes in resources available to the 
Administrator to implement the B-WET Pro-
gram; and 
(D) other circumstances as determined nec-
essary by the Administrator. 
(2) CONSULTATION AND PUBLIC COMMENT.—The 
Administrator shall— 
(A) consult with the persons conducting a 
regional program and provide opportunity for 
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public comment prior to making a final decision 
to modify or realign such regional program; and 
(B) publish public notice of such a decision 
no less than 30-days before the effective date of 
such a modification or realignment. 
(d) REGIONAL PROGRAM MANAGERS.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT OF REGIONAL PROGRAM MAN-
AGER.—The Administrator shall be responsible for the 
selection, appointment, and when necessary replace-
ment of a regional program manager for each re-
gional program under the B-WET Program. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—To qualify for appoint-
ment as a regional program manager, an individual 
must— 
(A) reside in the region for which ap-
pointed; and 
(B) demonstrate competence and expertise 
in bay-watershed education and training. 
(3) FUNCTIONS.—Each regional program man-
ager shall— 
(A) be responsible for managing and ad-
ministering the B-WET Program in the region 
for which appointed, in accordance with this 
Act; 
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(B) determine the most appropriate commu-
nities within the region to be served by the B- 
WET Program; 
(C) encourage water-dependent, wildlife-de-
pendent, and other outdoor recreation, experien-
tial learning experiences for students, and hands- 
on involvement with coastal and watershed re-
sources as a method of promoting stewardship of 
those resources and complementing core class-
room curriculum; 
(D) support communication and collabora-
tion among educators, natural resource planners 
and managers, and governmental and non-
governmental stakeholders; 
(E) share and distribute information re-
garding educational plans, strategies, learning 
activities, and curricula to all stakeholders with-
in its region; 
(F) provide financial and technical assist-
ance pursuant to the guidelines developed by the 
Administrator under this section; and 
(G) perform any additional duties as nec-
essary to carry out the functions of the program. 
(e) PROGRAM GUIDELINES.—No later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act and after consulta-
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tion with appropriate stakeholders, the Administrator shall 
publish in the Federal Register guidelines regarding the im-
plementation of the B-WET Program, as follows: 
(1) CONTRACTS.—The Administrator shall create 
guidelines through which each regional program man-
ager may enter into contracts (subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations) to support projects to de-
sign, demonstrate, evaluate, or disseminate practices, 
methods, or techniques related to Bay-watershed edu-
cation and training. 
(2) GRANT MAKING AND COOPERATIVE AGREE-
MENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
create guidelines through which each regional 
program manager may provide financial assist-
ance in the form of a grant (subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations) or cooperative agree-
ment to support projects that advance the pur-
pose of this Act. The guidelines shall include cri-
teria for eligible entities, identification of na-
tional priorities, establishment of performance 
measures to evaluate program effectiveness, and 
reporting requirements for grant award recipi-
ents. 
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(B) PRIORITY.—In making grants under 
this paragraph, each regional program manager 
shall give priority to those projects that will— 
(i) promote bay-watershed education 
throughout the region concerned; 
(ii) advance strategic initiatives to in-
corporate bay-watershed education into for-
mal and informal education systems; 
(iii) build capacity within bay-water-
shed education communities and stakeholder 
groups for expanding and strengthening 
their work; 
(iv) build bay-watershed education into 
professional development or training activi-
ties for educators; and 
(v) broadly replicate existing, proven 
bay-watershed education programs. 
(f) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In awarding grants under 
this section, the regional program managers shall give 
priority consideration to a project for which the Fed-
eral share does not exceed 75 percent of the aggregate 
cost of such project. 
(2) IN-KIND
CONTRIBUTION.—The non-Federal 
share of the costs of any project supported by an 
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award of grant funding under this section may be 
cash or the fair market value of services, equipment, 
donations, or any other form of in-kind contribution. 
(3) OTHER
PRIORITY.—The regional program 
managers shall give priority consideration to a 
project that will be conducted by or benefit any 
under-served community, any community that has an 
inability to draw on other sources of funding because 
of the small population or low income of the commu-
nity, or any other person for any other reason the Ad-
ministrator considers appropriate and consistent with 
the purpose of this Act. 
(g) REGIONAL PROGRAM COORDINATION.—Within the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Of-
fice of Education shall work with regional program man-
agers on the following regional B-WET Program functions: 
(1) Strategic planning efforts. 
(2) Integration and coordination of programs. 
(3) Coordination of national evaluation efforts. 
(4) Promotion of network wide communications. 
(5) Selection of new Regional Program Man-
agers. 
(6) Management, tracking, and oversight of the 
B-WET Program. 
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(h) LIMITATION
ON USE
OF FUNDS
BY ADMINIS-
TRATOR.—Of the amounts made available to implement 
this section— 
(1) no less than 80 percent shall be used for im-
plementation of regional program activities, includ-
ing the award of grants; and 
(2) no more than 20 percent may be used by the 
Administrator to implement the regional programs 
and regional program coordination. 
SEC. 6. BIENNIAL REPORT. 
Not later than December 31, 2011, and biennially 
thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the grant programs authorized under this Act. Each 
such report shall include a description of the eligible activi-
ties carried out with grants awarded under the Act during 
the previous two fiscal years, an assessment of the success 
and impact of such activities, and a description of the type 
of programs carried out with such grant, disaggregated by 
State. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Admin-
istrator to carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015. 
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Union Calendar No. 229 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3644 
[Report No. 111–392] 
A BILL 
To direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to establish education and water-
shed programs which advance environmental lit-
eracy, including preparedness and adaptability 
for the likely impacts of climate change in coastal 
watershed regions. 
JANUARY 12, 2010 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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