I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 882 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in order 
to improve environmental literacy to better prepare students for postsec-
ondary education and careers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 11, 2015 
Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Mr. BEYER, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. COURT-
NEY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. 
EDWARDS, Mr. FARR, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HASTINGS, 
Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. KIND, Ms. 
KUSTER, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. LEE, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
MCNERNEY, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. PETERS, 
Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POCAN, Mr. POLIS, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, 
Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. SIRES, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. 
THOMPSON of California, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. WELCH, and Mr. YARMUTH) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 in order to improve environmental literacy to 
better prepare students for postsecondary education and 
careers, 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 2015’’. 
(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 
Sec. 101. Environmental literacy. 
Sec. 102. Conforming amendments. 
TITLE II—PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY IN 
EDUCATION PROGRAMS 
Sec. 201. Amendments to part B of title II. 
Sec. 202. Amendments to part B of title IV. 
TITLE III—NATIONAL ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 301. Availability of other environmental literacy information. 
Sec. 302. Federal interagency coordination on environmental literacy. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Children and young adults are increasingly 
disconnected from the natural world around them, 
spending less time outside playing, exploring, and 
learning. 
(2) Play and learning in nature is important to 
the intellectual, social, and physical development of 
youth. 
(3) Environmental education, as part of the for-
mal prekindergarten through grade 12 school cur-
riculum, provides opportunities for youth to get out-
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side and learn about the natural world, has positive 
impacts on student achievement in all subjects and 
especially in science, reading, mathematics, and so-
cial studies, and improves critical thinking skills, en-
thusiasm for learning, stewardship, and healthy life-
styles. 
(4) By many indicators, 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 
environmental, natural resource, and energy related 
careers. 
(5) Reports by boards of the National Science 
Foundation, the National Environmental Education 
Advisory Council, and the National Council for 
Science and the Environment, among others, have 
called for a systemic approach to environmental edu-
cation in the formal education system to improve the 
environmental literacy of youth and better prepare 
students for college and the 21st century workforce. 
(6) Forty-eight 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 ensure that students graduate from 
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high school environmentally literate. At the same 
time, most States are aligning curricula with the 
Common Core State Standards. 
(7) Support from the Department of Education 
is needed to help State and local educational agen-
cies, and the partners of such agencies, implement 
environmental literacy plans and advance State cur-
riculum frameworks for environmental and natural 
resource education that meets new State academic 
content and student achievement standards. 
(8) Federal science and natural resource agen-
cies have important resources, including Federal 
lands and laboratories, content experts, data, and 
programs, that can inform and support State and 
local environmental literacy policies and program-
ming. 
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.). 
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TITLE I—ENVIRONMENTAL 
LITERACY 
SEC. 101. ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY. 
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 
‘‘SEC. 5621. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this subpart: 
‘‘(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 teacher preparation program at an 
institution of higher education. 
‘‘(B) The environmental or life sciences de-
partment 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, or parks and recreation department, 
that has demonstrated effectiveness, expertise, 
and experience in the field of environmental lit-
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eracy, including the professional development of 
teachers. 
‘‘(E) 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. 
‘‘(2) ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY.—The term 
‘environmental literacy’ means a fundamental under-
standing of ecological principles, the systems of the 
natural world, and the relationships and interactions 
between natural and man-made environments. 
‘‘(3) ENVIRONMENTAL
LITERACY
PLAN.—The 
term ‘environmental literacy plan’ means a plan de-
veloped, approved, or sponsored by the 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; 
‘‘(B) provides field and hands-on experi-
ences as part of the regular school curriculum 
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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 improves 
the teachers’— 
‘‘(i) environmental and natural re-
source content knowledge; and 
‘‘(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; 
‘‘(E) describes the measures the State will 
use to assess the environmental literacy of stu-
dents, including— 
‘‘(i) relevant State academic content 
standards and content areas regarding en-
vironmental education, and courses or sub-
jects where environmental education in-
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struction will be integrated throughout the 
prekindergarten through grade 12 cur-
riculum; and 
‘‘(ii) a description of the relationship 
of the plan to the secondary school gradua-
tion requirements of the State; 
‘‘(F) describes how the State educational 
agency will implement the plan, in partnership 
with nongovernmental organizations, Federal 
agencies, State environmental agencies, State 
environmental education associations, State 
natural resource agencies, and local educational 
agencies, including how the State educational 
agency will secure funding and other necessary 
support; and 
‘‘(G) is periodically updated by the State 
educational agency not less often than every 5 
years. 
‘‘(4) HIGH-NEED LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CY.—The term ‘high-need local educational agency’ 
means a local educational agency— 
‘‘(A) for which not less than 20 percent of 
the children served by the agency are children 
from low-income families; 
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‘‘(B) that serves not fewer than 10,000 
children from low-income families; 
‘‘(C) that meets the eligibility requirements 
for funding under section 6211(b); or 
‘‘(D) that meets the eligibility require-
ments for funding under section 6221(b). 
‘‘SEC. 5622. GRANTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRON-
MENTAL LITERACY PLANS. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts ap-
propriated for this section, the Secretary shall award 
grants to States to enable the States to award subgrants, 
on a competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to support 
the implementation of the State environmental literacy 
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; 
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‘‘(B) describe how funds received under 
this subsection will assist the State in fur-
thering the implementation of the State’s envi-
ronmental literacy plan; 
‘‘(C) describe the process the State will use 
to make subgrants to eligible partnerships; and 
‘‘(D) describe the process the State will 
use to evaluate the impact of the activities as-
sisted under this subpart. 
‘‘(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-
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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. 
‘‘(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 subpart shall prepare and submit 
an annual report to the Secretary containing infor-
mation about— 
‘‘(A) the implementation of the environ-
mental literacy plan; and 
‘‘(B) the grant activities supported under 
this subpart. 
‘‘(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.— 
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‘‘(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 
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 
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such information as the State educational agency 
may require. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) a description of teacher professional 
development needs, with respect to the teaching 
and learning of environmental content; 
‘‘(B) an explanation of how the activities 
to be carried out by the eligible partnership are 
expected to improve student academic achieve-
ment and strengthen the quality of environ-
mental instruction; 
‘‘(C) a description of how the activities to 
be carried out by the eligible partnership— 
‘‘(i) will be aligned with challenging 
State academic content standards and stu-
dent 
academic 
achievement 
standards 
under section 1111(b)(1) in environmental 
education, to the extent such standards 
exist, and with the State’s environmental 
literacy plan; and 
‘‘(ii) will advance the teaching of 
interdisciplinary courses that integrate the 
study of natural, social, and economic sys-
tems and that include strong field compo-
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nents in which students have the oppor-
tunity 
to 
directly 
experience 
nature 
through outdoor environmental learning; 
‘‘(D) a description of how the activities to 
be carried out by the eligible partnership will 
ensure that teachers are trained in the use of 
field-based or service learning to enable the 
teachers— 
‘‘(i) to use the local environment and 
community as a resource; and 
‘‘(ii) 
to 
improve 
student 
under-
standing of the environment and increase 
academic achievement; 
‘‘(E) a description of— 
‘‘(i) how the eligible partnership will 
carry out the authorized activities de-
scribed in subsection (h); and 
‘‘(ii) the eligible partnership’s evalua-
tion and accountability plan described in 
subsection (i); and 
‘‘(F) a description of how the eligible part-
nership will continue the activities funded under 
this section after the grant period has expired. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—An eligible partner-
ship shall use the subgrant funds provided under this sec-
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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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