Climate Change Education Act
Bill: S.966 | Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. (D-MA)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Climate Change Education Act
This bill declares that the evidence for human-induced climate change is overwhelming and undeniable.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must establish a Climate Change Education Program to
NOAA must also establish a grant program for climate change education.

To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to establish a Climate Change Education Program, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Climate Change Education Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The evidence for human-induced climate change is 
        overwhelming and undeniable.
            (2) Atmospheric carbon can be significantly reduced through 
        conservation, by shifting to renewable energy sources such as 
        solar, wind, tidal, and geothermal, and by increasing the 
        efficiency of buildings, including domiciles, and 
        transportation.
            (3) Providing clear information about climate change, in a 
        variety of forms, can remove the fear and the sense of 
        helplessness, and encourage individuals and communities to take 
        action.
            (4) Implementation of measures that promote energy 
        efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy will greatly 
        reduce human impact on the environment.
            (5) Informing people of new technologies and programs as 
        they become available will ensure maximum understanding and 
        maximum effect of those measures.
            (6) More than 3,000,000 students graduate from high schools 
        and colleges in the United States each year, armed with 
        attitudes, skills, and knowledge about the climate that inform 
        their actions.
            (7) The effect on the climate, positive or negative, of 
        each of those 3,000,000 students lasts beyond a lifetime.
            (8) Those students need to be prepared to implement changes 
        in professional and personal practices, to support and help 
        develop new technology and policy, and to address the coming 
        social and economic challenges and opportunities arising from a 
        changing climate.
            (9) It has been demonstrated that the people of the United 
        States overwhelmingly support teaching students about the 
        causes, consequences, and potential solutions to climate change 
        in all 50 States and more than 3,000 counties across the United 
        States.
            (10) Only 30 percent of middle school and 45 percent of 
        high school science teachers understand the extent of the 
        scientific consensus on climate change.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Climate change education.--The term ``climate change 
        education'' means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary 
        learning at all age levels about--
                    (A) climate change, climate adaptation and 
                mitigation, climate resilience, and climate justice; 
                and
                    (B) the effects of climate change, climate 
                adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, and 
                climate justice on the environmental, energy, social, 
                and economic systems of the United States.
            (2) Climate literacy.--The term ``climate literacy'' means 
        competence or knowledge of climate change, its causes and 
        impacts, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social 
        dynamics of promising solutions.
            (3) Climate justice.--The term ``climate justice'' means 
        the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, 
        regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, 
        with respect to the development, implementation, and 
        enforcement of policies and projects to ensure that each person 
        enjoys the same degree of protection from the adverse effects 
        of climate change.
            (4) Environmental justice.--The term ``environmental 
        justice'' means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement 
        of all people, regardless of race, color, culture, national 
        origin, or income, with respect to the development, 
        implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, 
        regulations, and policies to ensure that each person enjoys--
                    (A) the same degree of protection from 
                environmental and health hazards; and
                    (B) equal access to any Federal agency action on 
                environmental justice issues in order to have a healthy 
                environment in which to live, learn, work, and 
                recreate.
            (5) Environmental justice community.--The term 
        ``environmental justice community'' means a community with 
        significant representation of communities of color, low-income 
        communities, or Tribal and indigenous communities that 
        experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more 
        adverse human health or environmental effects as compared to 
        other communities.
            (6) Green economy.--The term ``green economy'' means an 
        economy that results in improved human and economic well-being 
        and social equity by significantly reducing environmental risks 
        and ecological scarcities.
            (7) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (8) Local educational agency; state educational agency.--
        The terms ``local educational agency'' and ``State educational 
        agency'' have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (9) Nonformal.--The term ``nonformal'' means, with respect 
        to learning, out-of-school educational programming carried out 
        by nonprofit organizations and public agencies.
            (10) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means an organization described in section 
        501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
        taxation under 501(a) of that Code.

SEC. 4. CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration shall establish a Climate Change Education Program to--
            (1) increase the climate literacy of the United States by 
        broadening the understanding of climate change, including 
        possible long-term and short-term consequences, 
        disproportionate impacts of those consequences, and potential 
        solutions;
            (2) apply the latest scientific and technological 
        discoveries, including through the use of the scientific assets 
        of the Administration, to provide formal and nonformal learning 
        opportunities to individuals of all ages, including individuals 
        of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds; and
            (3) emphasize actionable information to help people 
        understand and promote implementation of new technologies, 
        programs, and incentives related to climate change, climate 
        adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, climate justice, 
        and environmental justice.

SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--As part of the Climate Change Education Program 
established under section 4, the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration shall establish a program to make grants 
to the following:
            (1) State educational agencies, in partnership with local 
        educational agencies and local nonprofit organizations, for the 
        implementation of aspects of State climate literacy plans for 
        grades 4 through 12 formal and informal climate change 
        education that--
                    (A) are aligned with State education standards;
                    (B) ensure that students graduate from high school 
                with climate literacy; and
                    (C) include at least 1 of the following:
                            (i) Relevant teacher training and 
                        professional development.
                            (ii) Integration of key climate change 
                        concepts into State education standards for 
                        science, technology, engineering, and 
                        mathematics (STEM), civics and social studies, 
                        and other relevant subject areas during the 
                        next revision of such standards.
                            (iii) Development of climate change 
                        education educational frameworks and model 
                        curricula and curation and dissemination of 
                        existing climate change curriculum materials.
                            (iv) Creation of applied learning project-
                        based models, such as models making optimum use 
                        of green features improvements to school 
                        facilities, such as energy systems, lighting 
                        systems, water management, waste management, 
                        and school grounds improvements.
                            (v) Incorporation of climate change 
                        mitigation and green technologies into new and 
                        existing career and technical education career 
                        tracks and work-based learning experiences, 
                        including development of partnerships with 
                        labor organizations, trade organizations, and 
                        apprenticeship programs.
            (2) Institutions of higher education and networks or 
        partnerships of such institutions to engage teams of faculty 
        and students to develop applied climate research and deliver to 
        local communities direct services related to local climate 
        mitigation and adaptation issues, with priority given to 
        projects that--
                    (A) foster long-term campus-community partnerships;
                    (B) show potential to scale work beyond the grant 
                term;
                    (C) are inclusive for all segments of the 
                population; and
                    (D) promote equitable and just outcomes.
            (3) Professional associations and academic disciplinary 
        societies for projects that build capacity at the State and 
        national levels for continuing education by practicing 
        professionals and the general public in green economy fields.
            (4) Youth corps organizations to engage in community-based 
        climate mitigation and adaptation work that includes a 
        substantive educational component.
    (b) Climate Change Education Office.--
            (1) In general.--There shall be, within the Office of 
        Education of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration, an Office of Climate Change Education to 
        administer the grant program required by subsection (a).
            (2) Consultation.--The Office of Climate Change Education 
        shall annually consult with other relevant agencies of the 
        Federal Government to determine ways in which grant making 
        under subsection (a) can enhance and support other national 
        climate education and training and environmental justice goals.
            (3) Environmental justice communities.--The Office of 
        Climate Change Education shall ensure that 40 percent of all 
        funds appropriated for grants under paragraphs (2) and (4) of 
        subsection (a) are directed into environmental justice 
        communities.
            (4) Communities of practice.--The Office of Climate Change 
        Education shall establish communities of practice with respect 
        to each of paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) in 
        order to accelerate learning.

SEC. 6. REPORT.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall submit to Congress a report that 
evaluates the scientific merits, educational effectiveness, and broader 
effects of activities carried out under this Act.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out this Act 
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026.
    (b) Allocation of Amounts for Grant Program.--
            (1) In general.--Amounts appropriated to carry out the 
        grant program required by section 5(a) shall be allocated as 
        follows:
                    (A) 50 percent for grants made under paragraph (1) 
                of such section.
                    (B) 30 percent for grants made under paragraph (2) 
                of such section.
                    (C) 10 percent for grants made under paragraph (3) 
                of such section.
                    (D) 10 percent for grants made under paragraph (4) 
                of such section.
            (2) Exception.--If amounts appropriated to carry out the 
        grant program required by section 5(a) do not exceed $5,000,000 
        in any fiscal year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration may use in that fiscal year--
                    (A) 60 percent of such amounts for grants made 
                under paragraph (1) of such section; and
                    (B) 40 percent of such amounts for grants made 
                under paragraph (2) of such section.
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