IIB 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3036 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 22 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 
Received 
OCTOBER 2 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
AN ACT 
To reauthorize and enhance the National Environmental 
Education Act, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘No Child Left Inside 
Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ACT 
AMENDMENTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the National Envi-
ronmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5502) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (12), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (13), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(14) ‘principles of scientific research’ means 
principles of research that— 
‘‘(A) apply rigorous, systematic, and objec-
tive methodology to obtain reliable and valid 
knowledge relevant to education activities and 
programs; 
‘‘(B) present findings and make claims 
that are appropriate to, and supported by, the 
methods that have been employed; and 
‘‘(C) include, appropriate to the research 
being conducted— 
‘‘(i) use of systematic, empirical meth-
ods that draw on observation or experi-
ment; 
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‘‘(ii) use of data analyses that are 
adequate to support the general findings; 
‘‘(iii) reliance on measurements or ob-
servational methods that provide reliable 
and generalizable findings; 
‘‘(iv) strong claims of causal relation-
ships, only with research designs that 
eliminate plausible completing explanations 
for observed results, such as, but not lim-
ited to, random-assignment experiments; 
‘‘(v) presentation of studies and meth-
ods in sufficient detail and clarity to allow 
for replication or, at a minimum, to offer 
the opportunity to build systematically on 
the findings of the research; 
‘‘(vi) acceptance by a peer-reviewed 
journal or critique by a panel of inde-
pendent experts through a comparably rig-
orous, objective, and scientific review; and 
‘‘(vii) consistency of findings across 
multiple studies or sites to support the 
generality of results and conclusions; 
‘‘(15) ‘scientifically valid research’ includes ap-
plied research, basic research, and field-initiated re-
search in which the rationale, design, and interpreta-
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tion are soundly developed in accordance with prin-
ciples of scientific research; 
‘‘(16) ‘State’ has the meaning given such term 
in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965; and 
‘‘(17) ‘State educational agency’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 9101 of the Elemen-
tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.’’. 
(b) ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
AND TRAINING 
PROGRAM.—Section 5 of the National Environmental 
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5504) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘creating opportuni-
ties for enhanced and ongoing professional 
development and’’ before ‘‘classroom’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘(including inte-
grating scientifically valid research teach-
ing methods and technology-based teaching 
methods into the curriculum)’’ after ‘‘prac-
tices’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘curriculum, including’’ 
and inserting ‘‘curriculum (including’’; 
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(ii) by striking ‘‘groups;’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘groups) which—’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) are aligned with challenging State 
and local academic content standards to the ex-
tent such standards exist; and 
‘‘(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;’’; 
(C) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and fo-
rums;’’ and inserting ‘‘forums, and bringing 
teachers into contact with working professionals 
in environmental fields to expand such teachers’ 
subject matter knowledge of, and research in, 
environmental issues;’’; 
(D) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, including environmental edu-
cation distance learning programs for teachers 
using curricula that are innovative, content- 
based, and based on scientifically valid research 
that is current as of the date of the program 
involved;’’; 
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(E) by redesignating paragraph (9) as 
paragraph (13); 
(F) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(4) 
through (8) as paragraphs (5) through (9), re-
spectively; 
(G) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
following: 
‘‘(4) 
encouraging 
individuals 
traditionally 
under-represented in environmental careers to pur-
sue postsecondary degrees in majors leading to such 
careers;’’; and 
(H) by inserting after paragraph (9) (as so 
redesignated) the following: 
‘‘(10) establishment of programs to prepare 
teachers at a school to provide environmental edu-
cation professional development to other teachers at 
the school and programs to promote outdoor envi-
ronmental education activities as part of the regular 
school curriculum and schedule in order to further 
the knowledge and development of teachers and stu-
dents; 
‘‘(11) summer workshops or institutes, includ-
ing follow-up training, for elementary and secondary 
school environmental education teachers; 
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‘‘(12) encouraging mid-career environmental 
professionals to pursue careers in environmental 
education; and’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ‘‘, in con-
sultation with the Secretary,’’ after ‘‘Administrator’’. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 11(a) of the National 
Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5510(a)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘Act’’ and all that follows through 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘Act, except for section 
11, $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.’’. 
(d) NATIONAL CAPACITY ENVIRONMENTAL EDU-
CATION GRANT PROGRAM; ACCOUNTABILITY.—The Na-
tional Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5501 et 
seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 11 as section 13; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 10 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 11. NATIONAL CAPACITY ENVIRONMENTAL EDU-
CATION GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to award grants, on a competitive basis, to nonprofit 
organizations, State educational agencies, local edu-
cational agencies, municipalities, or institutions of 
higher education that have demonstrated expertise 
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and experience in the development of the institu-
tional, financial, intellectual, or policy resources 
needed to help the field of environmental education 
become more effective and widely practiced. Not-
withstanding any other provision of this section, a 
State educational agency, a local educational agency, 
an institution of higher education, a municipality, or 
a not-for-profit organization may use funds provided 
under this section to coordinate with any program or 
unit operated by a Federal Natural Resource Man-
agement Agency to carry out environmental edu-
cation programs based on the full range of the re-
sources and mission of the Agency. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—The Secretary shall award 
each grant under this section for a period of not less 
than 1 year and not more than 3 years. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds made available 
under this section shall be used for 1 or more of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) Developing and implementing challenging 
State academic content standards, student academic 
achievement standards, and State curriculum frame-
works in environmental education, including the 
need to balance conservation of the environment 
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with the development of the Nation’s energy re-
sources. 
‘‘(2) Replicating or disseminating information 
about proven and tested model environmental edu-
cation programs that— 
‘‘(A) use the environment as an integrating 
theme or content throughout the curriculum; 
‘‘(B) provide integrated, interdisciplinary 
instruction about natural, social, and economic 
systems along with field experience that pro-
vides students with opportunities to directly ex-
perience nature in ways designed to improve 
overall academic performance, self-esteem, per-
sonal responsibility, community involvement, 
personal health (including addressing child obe-
sity issues), or their understanding of nature; 
‘‘(C) provide integrated instruction on 
waste 
reduction, 
reuse, 
recycling, 
and 
composting programs and, when possible, pro-
mote such activities within the school; or 
‘‘(D) address issues of environmental jus-
tice, including policies and methods for elimi-
nating disparate enforcement of environmental 
laws and regulations, including with respect to 
low-income communities. 
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‘‘(3) Developing and implementing new policy 
approaches to environmental education, which shall 
include a discussion of— 
‘‘(A) the benefits and costs to the environ-
ment and to consumers regarding increasing
the
supply of energy produced in the United 
States from— 
‘‘(i) oil and gas drilling; 
‘‘(ii) nuclear power; 
‘‘(iii) new coal technologies; and 
‘‘(iv) clean renewable and alternative 
sources of energy, including wind,
solar, 
geothermal, hydropower,
and advanced 
biofuels; and 
‘‘(B) the best strategies for reducing en-
ergy consumption through
an enhanced em-
phasis on
efficiency and conservation. 
‘‘(4) Conducting studies of national significance 
that— 
‘‘(A) evaluate the effectiveness of teaching 
environmental education as a separate subject, 
and as an integrating concept or theme; 
‘‘(B) evaluate the effectiveness of using en-
vironmental education in helping students im-
prove their assessment scores in mathematics, 
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reading or language arts, science, and the other 
core academic subjects; or 
‘‘(C) evaluate ways to coordinate activities 
under this Act with existing Federal science 
teacher in-service training or professional devel-
opment programs. 
‘‘(5) Executing projects that advance wide-
spread State and local educational agency adoption 
and use of environmental education content stand-
ards, including adoption and use of such standards 
in textbook selection criteria. 
‘‘(6) Developing a State environmental literacy 
plan that includes the following: 
‘‘(A) A description of how the State edu-
cational agency will measure the environmental 
literacy of students, including— 
‘‘(i) relevant State academic content 
standards and content areas regarding en-
vironmental education, and courses or sub-
jects where environmental education in-
struction will take place; and 
‘‘(ii) a description of the relationship 
of the plan to the secondary school gradua-
tion requirements of the State. 
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