‘‘(3) Create opportunities for enhanced and on- 
going professional development for teachers that im-
proves the teachers’— 
‘‘(A) environmental subject matter knowl-
edge; and 
‘‘(B) pedagogical skills in teaching about 
environmental issues, including the use of— 
‘‘(i) interdisciplinary, field-based, and 
research-based learning; and 
‘‘(ii) innovative technology in the 
classroom. 
‘‘(c) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—A State environmental 
literacy plan shall include each of the following: 
‘‘(1) A description of how the State educational 
agency will measure the environmental literacy of 
students, including— 
‘‘(A) relevant State academic content 
standards and content areas regarding environ-
mental education, and courses or subjects where 
environmental education instruction will be in-
tegrated throughout the prekindergarten to 
grade 12 curriculum; and 
‘‘(B) a description of the relationship of 
the plan to the secondary school graduation re-
quirements of the State. 
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‘‘(2) A description of programs for professional 
development for teachers to improve the teachers’— 
‘‘(A) environmental subject matter knowl-
edge; and 
‘‘(B) pedagogical skills in teaching about 
environmental issues, including the use of— 
‘‘(i) interdisciplinary, field-based, and 
research-based learning; and 
‘‘(ii) innovative technology in the 
classroom. 
‘‘(3) A description of how the State educational 
agency will implement the plan, including securing 
funding and other necessary support. 
‘‘(d) PLAN UPDATE.—The State environmental lit-
eracy plan shall be revised or updated by the State edu-
cational agency and submitted to the Secretary not less 
often than every 5 years or as appropriate to reflect plan 
modifications. 
‘‘(e) PEER REVIEW AND SECRETARIAL APPROVAL.— 
The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) establish a peer review process to assist in 
the review of State environmental literacy plans; 
‘‘(2) appoint individuals to the peer review 
process who— 
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‘‘(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; 
‘‘(3) include, in the peer review process, appro-
priate representatives from the Department of Com-
merce, Department of Interior, Department of En-
ergy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and 
other appropriate Federal agencies, to provide envi-
ronmental expertise and background for evaluation 
of the State environmental literacy plan; 
‘‘(4) approve a State environmental literacy 
plan not later than 120 days after the plan’s sub-
mission unless the Secretary determines that the 
State environmental literacy plan does not meet the 
requirements of this section; 
‘‘(5) immediately notify the State if the Sec-
retary determines that the State environmental lit-
eracy plan does not meet the requirements of this 
section, and state the reasons for such determina-
tion; 
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‘‘(6) not decline to approve a State environ-
mental literacy plan before— 
‘‘(A) offering the State an opportunity to 
revise the State environmental literacy plan; 
‘‘(B) providing technical assistance in 
order to assist the State to meet the require-
ments of this section; and 
‘‘(C) providing notice and an opportunity 
for a hearing; and 
‘‘(7) have the authority to decline to approve a 
State environmental literacy plan for not meeting 
the requirements of this part, but shall not have the 
authority to require a State, as a condition of ap-
proval of the State environmental literacy plan, to— 
‘‘(A) include in, or delete from, such State 
environmental literacy plan 1 or more specific 
elements of the State academic content stand-
ards under section 1111(b)(1); or 
‘‘(B) use specific academic assessment in-
struments or items. 
‘‘(f) STATE
REVISIONS.—The State educational 
agency shall have the opportunity to revise a State envi-
ronmental literacy plan if such revision is necessary to sat-
isfy the requirements of this section. 
‘‘(g) GRANTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.— 
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‘‘(1) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts 
appropriated for this subsection, the Secretary shall 
award grants, through allotments in accordance with 
the regulations described in paragraph (2), to States 
to enable the States to award subgrants, on a com-
petitive basis, to local educational agencies and eligi-
ble partnerships (as such term is defined in section 
2502) to support the implementation of the State 
environmental literacy plan. 
‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall pro-
mulgate regulations implementing the grant pro-
gram under paragraph (1), which regulations shall 
include the development of an allotment formula 
that best achieves the purposes of this subpart. 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—A State re-
ceiving a grant under this subsection may use not 
more than 2.5 percent of the grant funds for admin-
istrative expenses. 
‘‘(h) REPORTING.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after approval of a State environmental literacy 
plan, and every 2 years thereafter, the State edu-
cational agency shall submit to the Secretary a re-
port on the implementation of the State plan. 
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‘‘(2) REPORT REQUIREMENTS.—The report re-
quired by this subsection 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.’’. 
TITLE II—ESTABLISHMENT OF 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
EDU-
CATION PROFESSIONAL DE-
VELOPMENT 
GRANT 
PRO-
GRAMS 
SEC. 201. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS. 
Title II (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘PART E—ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PRO-
FESSIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT 
GRANT 
PRO-
GRAMS 
‘‘SEC. 2501. PURPOSE. 
‘‘The purpose of this part is to ensure the academic 
achievement of students in environmental literacy through 
the professional development of teachers and educators. 
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