I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2784 
To promote environmental literacy. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 20, 2023 
Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Ms. BROWN, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. 
WATSON COLEMAN, and Mr. RUPPERSBERGER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Work-
force 
A BILL 
To promote environmental literacy. 
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 ‘‘No Child Left Inside 
Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Hands-on experiences in nature help build 
stronger, smarter, and happier children. 
(2) Children and young adults are increasingly 
disconnected from the natural world around them, 
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spending less time outside playing, exploring, and 
learning. 
(3) Quality education for students includes reg-
ular opportunities to make connections outside of 
the classroom. 
(4) Environmental education, when integrated 
across the curriculum, has positive impacts on the 
development of important skills, such as critical 
thinking, problem solving, and citizenship and lead-
ership skills. 
(5) Every student should have the opportunity 
to participate in residential outdoor education pro-
grams or comparable outdoor education programs. 
(6) Outdoor and environmental education pro-
grams have been shown to build critical thinking 
skills and leadership skills, and can improve student 
attendance and retention rates. 
(7) Colleges, universities, and higher education 
associations play a critical role in cultivating the 
next generation of scientists, engineers, educators, 
planners, and business leaders for 21st century ca-
reers in the public and private sectors. 
(8) Environmental education, as part of the for-
mal prekindergarten through grade 12 school cur-
riculum, has positive impacts on student achieve-
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ment in all subjects, and especially in science, read-
ing, mathematics, and social studies, and improves 
critical thinking skills, enthusiasm for learning, 
stewardship, and healthy lifestyles. 
(9) The Partnership for 21st Century Learning 
identified environmental literacy as one of the key 
interdisciplinary themes critical to helping students 
to acquire the skills, knowledge, and expertise nec-
essary to succeed in work and life. 
(10) The Programme for International Student 
Assessment (PISA) rankings find that the United 
States is falling behind other nations in preparing 
students with the educational tools necessary to 
compete for the growing opportunities in the 
sciences, including careers related to the environ-
ment, natural resources, and energy. 
(11) Forty-six States have developed, or are in 
the process of developing, environmental literacy 
plans to effectively integrate environmental edu-
cation into the prekindergarten through grade 12 
curriculum and to ensure that students graduate 
from high school environmentally literate. 
(12) Support from the Department of Edu-
cation is needed to help State and local educational 
agencies, and the partners of such agencies, imple-
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ment environmental literacy plans and advance State 
curriculum frameworks for environmental and nat-
ural resource education that meets new State aca-
demic content and student achievement standards. 
(13) Federal science agencies, natural resource 
agencies, and other agencies have important re-
sources, including Federal lands and laboratories, 
content experts, data, and programs, that can in-
form and support State and local environmental lit-
eracy policies and programming. 
SEC. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY. 
Title IV (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘PART G—ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY 
‘‘SEC. 4701. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this part: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘eligi-
ble partnership’ means a partnership that includes a 
local educational agency and not less than 1 of the 
following partners: 
‘‘(A) A Federal, State, regional, or local 
environmental or natural resource management 
agency, or parks and recreation department, 
that has demonstrated effectiveness, expertise, 
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and experience in the field of environmental lit-
eracy, including the professional development of 
teachers. 
‘‘(B) A nonprofit organization that has 
demonstrated effectiveness, expertise, and expe-
rience in the field of environmental literacy, in-
cluding the professional development of teach-
ers, such as— 
‘‘(i) museums, as defined in section 
273 of the Museum and Library Services 
Act (20 U.S.C. 9172); 
‘‘(ii) a teacher preparation program at 
an institution of higher education; 
‘‘(iii) 
the 
environmental 
or 
life 
sciences department of an institution of 
higher education; 
‘‘(iv) another local educational agency, 
a public charter school, a public elemen-
tary school or secondary school, or a con-
sortium of such schools; 
‘‘(v) nature centers; or 
‘‘(vi) organizations with environmental 
education programming. 
‘‘(2) ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY.—The term 
‘environmental literacy’ means— 
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‘‘(A) a fundamental understanding of eco-
logical principles, the systems of the natural 
world, the relationships and interactions be-
tween natural and man-made environments, 
and the skills to apply such understanding in 
real-world settings; and 
‘‘(B) having the ability, both individually 
and together with others, to make informed de-
cisions concerning the environment, having the 
will to act on those decisions to improve the 
well-being of other individuals, societies, and 
the global environment, and participating in 
civic life. 
‘‘(3) ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY
PLAN.—The 
term ‘environmental literacy plan’ means a plan de-
veloped, approved, or sponsored by a State edu-
cational agency in consultation with State environ-
mental agencies, State environmental education as-
sociations, and State natural resource agencies, and 
with input from the public, that— 
‘‘(A) prepares students to understand eco-
logical principles, the systems of the natural 
world, and the relationships and interactions 
between natural and man-made environments, 
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and to apply such knowledge in real-world set-
tings; 
‘‘(B) provides field and hands-on experi-
ences as part of the regular school curriculum 
and creates programs that contribute to healthy 
lifestyles through outdoor recreation and sound 
nutrition; 
‘‘(C) provides environmental service learn-
ing opportunities; 
‘‘(D) provides targeted professional devel-
opment opportunities for teachers that im-
prove— 
‘‘(i) environmental and natural re-
source content knowledge of teachers; 
‘‘(ii) pedagogical skills in teaching 
about the environment, including the use 
of— 
‘‘(I) interdisciplinary, field-based, 
and research-based learning; and 
‘‘(II) science, technology, engi-
neering, and mathematics content 
knowledge and tools; and 
‘‘(iii) the ability and confidence to use 
school buildings and grounds as a context 
for learning; 
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‘‘(H) is periodically updated by the State 
educational agency not less often than every 5 
years; 
‘‘(I) utilizes school buildings and grounds 
as a context for learning; 
‘‘(J) describes teacher professional develop-
ment needs; and 
‘‘(K) develops and describes a plan to 
adopt best management practices for early 
childhood environmental education, including 
guidelines for time outdoors, outdoor space de-
sign, and learning context. 
‘‘(4) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CY.—The term ‘high-need local educational agency’ 
means a local educational agency— 
‘‘(A) with respect to which not less than 
20 percent of the children served by the agency 
are children from low-income families; 
‘‘(B) that serves not fewer than 10,000 
children from low-income families; 
‘‘(C) that meets the eligibility requirements 
for funding under section 5211(b); or 
‘‘(D) that meets the eligibility require-
ments for funding under section 5221(b). 
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‘‘(5) HIGH-NEED
SCHOOL.—The term ‘high- 
need school’ means a public elementary school or 
secondary school that is located in an area in which 
the percentage of students from families with in-
comes below the poverty line is 30 percent or more. 
‘‘(6) OUTDOOR
SCHOOL
EDUCATION
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘outdoor school education pro-
gram’ means a multi-day educational program that 
delivers outdoor hands-on learning experiences, and 
that— 
‘‘(A) addresses community needs and con-
texts; 
‘‘(B) takes place in a residential or day 
program setting; 
‘‘(C) provides field study opportunities for 
students; 
‘‘(D) is integrated with local school cur-
ricula and support students in meeting State 
standards; and 
‘‘(E) provides students with opportunities 
to develop leadership, critical thinking, and 
problem-solving skills. 
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‘‘SEC. 4702. GRANTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRON-
MENTAL LITERACY PLANS. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts ap-
propriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall 
award grants to States to enable the States to award sub-
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to 
support the implementation of the State environmental lit-
eracy plan. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—A State that desires a 
grant under this section shall submit an application 
to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may 
require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application under this 
subsection shall— 
‘‘(A) include the State’s environmental lit-
eracy plan and information on the status of im-
plementation of such plan; 
‘‘(B) describe how funds received under 
this section will assist the State in furthering 
the implementation of the State’s environmental 
literacy plan; 
‘‘(C) describe the process the State will use 
to make subgrants to eligible partnerships; and 
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‘‘(D) describe the process the State will 
use to evaluate the impact of the activities as-
sisted under this section. 
‘‘(c) PEER REVIEW.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) establish a peer review process to assist in 
the review of grant applications under this section; 
‘‘(2) appoint individuals to the peer review 
process who— 
‘‘(A) are representative of parents, teach-
ers, State educational agencies, State environ-
mental agencies, State natural resource agen-
cies, local educational agencies, and nongovern-
mental organizations; and 
‘‘(B) are familiar with national environ-
mental issues and the health and educational 
needs of students; and 
‘‘(3) include, in the peer review process, appro-
priate representatives from the Department of Com-
merce, the Department of the Interior, the Depart-
ment of Energy, the Environmental Protection 
Agency, and other appropriate Federal agencies, to 
provide environmental expertise and background for 
evaluation of the State environmental literacy plan. 
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‘‘(d) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—A State receiv-
ing a grant under this section may use not more than 2.5 
percent of the grant funds for administrative expenses. 
‘‘(e) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each State receiving a 
grant under this section shall prepare and submit an 
annual report to the Secretary containing informa-
tion about— 
‘‘(A) the implementation of the environ-
mental literacy plan; and 
‘‘(B) the grant activities supported under 
this section. 
‘‘(2) REPORT REQUIREMENTS.—The report re-
quired by this section shall be— 
‘‘(A) in the form specified by the Sec-
retary; 
‘‘(B) based on the State’s ongoing evalua-
tion activities; and 
‘‘(C) made readily available to the public. 
‘‘(f) SUBGRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) SUBGRANTS
TO
ELIGIBLE
PARTNER-
SHIPS.—From amounts made available to a State 
educational agency under subsection (a), the State 
educational agency shall award subgrants, on a com-
petitive basis, to eligible partnerships serving the 
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State, to enable the eligible partnerships to carry out 
the authorized activities described in subsection (h). 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—The State educational agency 
shall award each subgrant under this section for a 
period of not more than 3 years. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In making subgrants under 
this section, a State shall give priority to eligible 
partnerships that include a high-need local edu-
cational agency. 
‘‘(4) SUPPLEMENT, NOT
SUPPLANT.—Funds 
provided to an eligible partnership under this section 
shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, funds 
that would otherwise be used for activities author-
ized under this section. 
‘‘(g) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible partnership 
desiring a subgrant under this section shall submit 
an application to the State educational agency, at 
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
such information as the State educational agency 
may require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall include— 
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tion for 1 or more of the following activities related to 
elementary schools or secondary schools: 
‘‘(1) Providing targeted, job-embedded profes-
sional development opportunities for teachers that 
improve the teachers’ environmental content knowl-
edge and pedagogical skills in teaching about the en-
vironment, including in the use of— 
‘‘(A) interdisciplinary, research-based, and 
field-based learning; and 
‘‘(B) technology in the classroom. 
‘‘(2) Establishing and operating environmental 
education summer workshops or institutes, including 
follow-up professional development for elementary 
and secondary school teachers, and preschool teach-
ers, as appropriate, to improve pedagogical skills 
and content knowledge for the teaching of environ-
mental education. 
‘‘(3) Developing or redesigning more rigorous 
environmental education curricula that— 
‘‘(A) are aligned with challenging State 
academic content standards in environmental 
education, to the extent such standards exist, 
and with the State environmental literacy plan; 
and 
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‘‘(B) advance the teaching of interdiscipli-
nary courses that integrate the study of nat-
ural, social, and economic systems and that in-
clude strong field components. 
‘‘(4) Designing programs to prepare teachers at 
a school to provide mentoring and professional devel-
opment to other teachers at such school to improve 
teacher environmental education content knowledge 
and pedagogical skills. 
‘‘(5) Establishing and operating programs to 
bring teachers and students into contact with work-
ing professionals in environmental fields to deepen 
such teachers’ knowledge of environmental content 
and research practices. 
‘‘(6) Creating initiatives that seek to incor-
porate environmental education within teacher train-
ing programs or accreditation standards, consistent 
with the State environmental literacy plan. 
‘‘(7) Promoting the integration of outdoor envi-
ronmental education lessons into the regular school 
curriculum and schedule in order to further the 
knowledge and professional development of teachers 
and help students directly experience nature. 
‘‘(8) Creating or improving outdoor learning 
spaces on school grounds. 
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‘‘(i) EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible partnership 
receiving a subgrant under this section shall develop 
an evaluation and accountability plan for activities 
assisted under this section that includes rigorous ob-
jectives that measure the impact of such activities. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The plan developed under 
paragraph (1) shall include measurable objectives to 
increase the number of teachers who participate in 
environmental education content-based professional 
development activities. 
‘‘(j) REPORT BY ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIPS.—Each 
eligible partnership receiving a subgrant under this section 
shall report annually, for each year of the subgrant, to 
the State educational agency regarding the eligible part-
nership’s progress in meeting the objectives described in 
the accountability plan of the eligible partnership under 
subsection (i). 
‘‘(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section for fiscal year 2024 
and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years. 
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‘‘SEC. 4703. OUTDOOR SCHOOL EDUCATION PILOT PRO-
GRAM. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—From funds appro-
priated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall make 
grants to eligible partnerships to establish or expand out-
door school education programs. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible partnership that 
desires a grant under this section shall submit an 
application to the Secretary, at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application under this 
subsection shall describe the outdoor school edu-
cation program to be carried out and how such pro-
gram will— 
‘‘(A) improve student academic achieve-
ment as defined in the State plan under section 
1111(c); 
‘‘(B) promote the development of leader-
ship skills; 
‘‘(C) increase student engagement in edu-
cation; 
‘‘(D) improve critical thinking skills; 
‘‘(E) provide opportunities for civic en-
gagement and service learning; 
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‘‘(F) address inequities of outdoor edu-
cational opportunities for underserved children 
in the State; and 
‘‘(G) improve student access to, and suc-
cess in, well-rounded educational experiences. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give priority to 
applicants that propose to serve high-need schools. 
‘‘(d) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In making awards 
under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that grants 
are awarded to eligible partnerships serving urban, rural, 
and suburban local educational agencies. 
‘‘(e) REQUIRED USES OF FUNDS.—Eligible partner-
ships awarded grants under this section shall use such 
funds for outdoor school education programs that— 
‘‘(1) provide a residential, hands-on educational 
experience, or an equivalent combination of class-
room-based and outdoor educational experience, that 
reflects local community needs and contexts, fea-
turing field study opportunities for students, which 
may include learning about— 
‘‘(A) soil, water, plants, and animals; 
‘‘(B) the role of natural resources indus-
tries, including timber, agriculture, fisheries, 
and others, in the economy of the State; 
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‘‘(C) the interrelationship of nature, nat-
ural resources, economic development, and ca-
reer opportunities in the State; and 
‘‘(D) the importance of the State’s envi-
ronmental and natural resources; 
‘‘(2) are integrated with local school curricula 
in a manner that assists students in meeting State 
standards related to science, technology, engineering, 
and mathematics, and international standards re-
lated to science; 
‘‘(3) provide students with opportunities to de-
velop leadership, critical thinking, and decision-
making skills; 
‘‘(4) provide students with opportunities to 
learn about the interdependence of urban and rural 
areas; and 
‘‘(5) provide professional development for edu-
cators to effectively implement outdoor school edu-
cation programs. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section for fiscal year 2024 
and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years. 
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‘‘SEC. 4704. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
‘‘Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of the No Child Left Inside Act of 2023 and every 2 years 
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress 
that— 
‘‘(1) describes the programs assisted under this 
part; 
‘‘(2) documents the success of such programs in 
improving national and State environmental edu-
cation capacity; and 
‘‘(3) makes such recommendations as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate for the continuation 
and improvement of the programs assisted under 
this part.’’. 
SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENT. 
The table of contents in section 2 is amended by in-
serting after the item relating to section 4644 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘PART G—ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY 
‘‘Sec. 4701. Definitions. 
‘‘Sec. 4702. Grants for implementation of environmental literacy plans. 
‘‘Sec. 4703. Outdoor school education pilot program. 
‘‘Sec. 4704. Report to Congress.’’. 
SEC. 5. AVAILABILITY OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL LIT-
ERACY INFORMATION. 
(a) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL LIT-
ERACY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.—The Secretary of Edu-
cation shall request that all Federal agencies provide in-
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formation on any environmental literacy assistance pro-
gram operated, sponsored, or supported by such Federal 
agency, including information about the application proce-
dures, financial terms and conditions, and other relevant 
information for each program, and each Federal agency 
shall promptly respond to surveys or other requests from 
the Secretary of Education for the information described 
in this subsection. 
(b) PUBLIC INFORMATION.—The Secretary of Edu-
cation shall ensure that not later than 90 days after the 
Secretary of Education receives the information required 
under subsection (a), the eligibility requirements, applica-
tion procedures, financial terms and conditions, and other 
relevant information for each environmental literacy as-
sistance program offered by another Federal agency are 
searchable and accessible through the Department of Edu-
cation’s website and cross-referenced with the United 
States Green Ribbon School application information, in a 
manner that is simple and understandable for local edu-
cational agencies and communities. 
SEC. 6. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY COORDINATION ON ENVI-
RONMENTAL LITERACY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education shall 
coordinate environmental literacy activities between the 
Department of Education, the Department of Agriculture, 
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the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection 
Agency, the Department of the Interior, and the Depart-
ment of Commerce, the Department of Health and 
Human Services, the National Science Foundation, the In-
stitute of Museum and Library Services, and the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, including by car-
rying out the activities described in subsection (b). 
(b) COORDINATION ACTIVITIES.—In coordinating en-
vironmental literacy activities, the Secretary of Education 
shall— 
(1) assess Federal environmental education pro-
grams, goals, and budget items across agencies; 
(2) assess environment-based science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics achievement 
to demonstrate that learning about and in the envi-
ronment is an effective strategy for increasing en-
gagement in learning and academic achievement in 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
subject areas; and 
(3) produce adaptable environmental literacy 
plan guidelines and identify coordinated resources 
across Federal agencies that States and local edu-
cational agencies can follow as States and local edu-
cational agencies work to develop environmental lit-
eracy plans and programs of their own. 
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(c) ADVISORY PANEL.—The Secretary of Education 
shall appoint an advisory panel of stakeholders, including 
representatives from State educational agencies, local edu-
cational agencies, businesses, and nonprofit organizations 
that are engaged in local environmental literacy efforts 
representing the geographic, economic, and cultural diver-
sity of the United States, who shall meet quarterly to ad-
vise and support interagency planning and assessment re-
garding environmental literacy activities. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary of Education, the Administrator 
of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of 
the Interior, and the Secretary of Commerce shall prepare 
and submit a joint report to Congress containing informa-
tion about the coordination of environmental literacy ac-
tivities between Federal agencies. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:51 Apr 23, 2023
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