Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act

Bill: 111-hr-3644
Sponsor: Rep. Capps, Lois [D-CA-23]
Introduced: 2009-09-24 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Alaska
Atlantic Coast (U.S.)
Atlantic Ocean
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Great Lakes
Higher education
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Outdoor recreation
Performance measurement
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Watersheds
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2009-09-24
text: 
Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Regional Program and National Environmental Literacy Grant Program Act - Directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a national competitive grant program under which the Administrator shall provide financial assistance to: (1) expand the adoption of coastal, ocean, and watershed environmental education within mainstream educational systems and other appropriate media; (2) build administrative and technical capacity with coastal, ocean, and watershed communities and stakeholder groups to enhance their effectiveness; (3) encourage water-dependent and outdoor recreation, experiential learning, and hands-on involvement with coastal and watershed resources as a method of promoting stewardship of those resources; and (4) develop and implement new approaches to advance coastal, ocean, and watershed education and environmental literacy at national, regional, and local levels.
 
Requires the Administrator to: (1) give priority, in awarding grants, to innovative, strategic, high-leverage projects that demonstrate strong potential for being sustained; and (2) publish guidelines regarding implementation of the grant program.
 
Directs the Administrator to: (1) establish the Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Regional Program, which shall be carried out through specified regional program offices; and (2) appoint a Regional Program Manager for each office. Authorizes the Administrator, in awarding grants under such Program, to give priority to projects that will: (1) promote bay-watershed education throughout the region; (2) advance strategic initiatives to incorporate bay-watershed education into education systems; (3) build capacity within bay-watershed education communities and stakeholder groups for expanding and strengthening their work; (4) build bay-watershed education into professional development or training activities for educators; and (5) broadly replicate existing, proven bay-watershed education programs. Requires NOAA's Office of Education to work with Regional Program Managers.
 
 
.

action_date: 2010-01-12
text: 
Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act - (Sec. 4) Directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish the Environmental Literacy Grant Program, a competitive grant program that provides financial assistance to: (1) expand the adoption of coastal, ocean, Great Lakes, and climate on all time scales education; (2) build administrative and technical capacity with coastal, ocean, and watershed communities and stakeholder groups to enhance their effectiveness; (3) encourage water- and wildlife-dependent and other outdoor recreation, experiential learning, and hands-on involvement with coastal and watershed resources as a method of promoting stewardship of those resources; and (4) develop and implement new approaches to advance coastal, ocean, Great Lakes, and climate on all time scales education and environmental literacy.
 
Requires the Administrator to: (1) give priority, in awarding environmental literacy grants, to innovative, strategic, high-leverage projects that demonstrate strong potential for being sustained; and (2) publish guidelines regarding implementation of the Environmental Literacy Grant Program.
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to conduct the Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program, including each of the regional programs conducted or under active consideration for creation under the B-WET Program. Authorizes the Administrator to create new regional programs under the B-WET Program. Requires the Administrator to issue and report to Congress on a strategy for establishing such new regional programs. Requires the Administrator, in creating new regional programs, to give priority to the needs of U.S. territories, the Great Lakes states, Alaska, and the mid-Atlantic region.
 
Authorizes the Administrator to modify or realign regional B-WET programs, based on specified factors. Makes the Administrator responsible for the selection, appointment, and replacement of regional program managers. Establishes managers' duties. 
 
Requires the Administrator to create B-WET Program guidelines through which managers may: (1) enter into contracts to support projects to design, demonstrate, evaluate, or disseminate practices, methods, or techniques related to bay-watershed education and training; and (2) provide grants or cooperative agreements to support projects that advance environmental literacy, develop public awareness and appreciation of the economic, social, recreational, and environmental benefits of coastal watersheds, and emphasize stewardship of critical coastal and marine resources.
 
Requires managers, in awarding grants under the B-WET Program, to give priority to projects that will: (1) promote bay-watershed education throughout the region concerned; (2) advance strategic initiatives to incorporate bay-watershed education into education systems; (3) build capacity within bay-watershed education communities and stakeholder groups for expanding and strengthening their work; (4) build bay-watershed education into professional development or training activities for educators; (5) broadly replicate existing, proven bay-watershed education programs; (6) be conducted by or benefit under-served communities and any community that has an inability to draw on other funding sources because of its small population or low income; and (7) require a federal share not exceeding 75% of the aggregate cost of such project. 
 
Requires NOAA's Office of Education to work with managers on the following regional B-WET Program functions: (1) strategic planning efforts; (2) integration and coordination of programs; (3) coordination of national evaluation efforts; (4) promotion of network-wide communications; (5) selection of new managers; and (6) management, tracking, and oversight of the B-WET Program.
 
(Sec. 6) Requires the Administrator to report biennially to Congress on grant programs. 
 
(Sec. 7) Authorizes appropriations.

action_date: 2010-03-19
text: 
Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act - (Sec. 4) Directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish the Environmental Literacy Grant Program, a competitive grant program that provides financial assistance to: (1) expand the adoption of coastal, ocean, Great Lakes, and climate on all time scales education; (2) build administrative and technical capacity with coastal, ocean, and watershed communities and stakeholder groups to enhance their effectiveness; (3) encourage water- and wildlife-dependent and other outdoor recreation, experiential learning, and hands-on involvement with coastal and watershed resources as a method of promoting stewardship and sustainable economic development of those resources; and (4) develop and implement new approaches to advance coastal, ocean, Great Lakes, and climate on all time scales and education and environmental literacy.
 
Requires the Administrator to: (1) give priority, in awarding environmental literacy grants, to innovative, strategic, high-leverage projects that demonstrate strong potential for being sustained; and (2) publish guidelines regarding implementation of the Environmental Literacy Grant Program.
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to conduct the Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program, including each of the regional programs conducted or under active consideration for creation under the B-WET Program. Authorizes the Administrator to create new regional programs under the B-WET Program. Requires the Administrator to issue and report to Congress on a strategy for establishing such new regional programs. Requires the Administrator, in creating new regional programs, to give priority to the needs of U.S. territories, the Great Lakes states, Alaska, and the mid-Atlantic region.
 
Authorizes the Administrator to modify or realign regional B-WET programs, based on specified factors. Makes the Administrator responsible for the selection, appointment, and replacement of regional program managers. Establishes managers' duties. 
 
Requires the Administrator to create B-WET Program guidelines through which managers may: (1) enter into contracts to support projects to design, demonstrate, evaluate, or disseminate practices, methods, or techniques related to bay-watershed education and training; and (2) provide grants or a cooperative agreement to support projects that advance environmental literacy, develop public awareness and appreciation of the economic, social, recreational, and environmental benefits of coastal watersheds, and emphasize stewardship of critical coastal and marine resources.
 
Requires managers, in awarding grants under the B-WET Program, to give priority to projects that will: (1) promote bay-watershed education throughout the region concerned; (2) advance strategic initiatives to incorporate bay-watershed education into education systems; (3) build capacity within bay-watershed education communities and stakeholder groups for expanding and strengthening their work; (4) build bay-watershed education into professional development or training activities for educators; (5) broadly replicate existing, proven bay-watershed education programs; (6) be conducted by or benefit under-served communities and any community that has an inability to draw on other funding sources because of its small population or low income; and (7) require a federal share not exceeding 75% of the aggregate cost of such project. 
 
Requires NOAA's Office of Education to work with managers on the following regional B-WET Program functions: (1) strategic planning efforts; (2) integration and coordination of programs; (3) coordination of national evaluation efforts; (4) promotion of network-wide communications; (5) selection of new managers; and (6) management, tracking, and oversight of the B-WET Program.
 
(Sec. 6) Requires the Administrator to report biennially to Congress on grant programs. 
 
(Sec. 7) Authorizes appropriations for FY2011-FY2015 for the Environmental Literacy Grant Program and the B-WET Program. Prohibits such appropriated funds from being used for congressional earmarks. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-03-22
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 244 - 170 (Roll no. 142).
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 244 - 170 (Roll no. 142).
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 200 - 215 (Roll no. 141).
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H1685)
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Chaffetz motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with sundry amendments which include adding a new paragraph to examine the impacts of natural gas and oil seeps on ocean, beaches, air quality, and the coastal environment and the possibility of mitigation of those impacts through resource and energy development. Also the motion adds a new section pertaining to limitation on use of funds.
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: Mr. Chaffetz moved to recommit with instructions to Natural Resources. (consideration: CR H1684-1686; text: CR H1684)
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H1684)
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Flake amendment to the Capps amendment in the nature of a substitute.
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Capps amendment in the nature of a substitute.
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 3644.
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3644 and H.R. 1612. It shall be in order to consider in the House, H.R. 3644 and H.R. 1612. All points of order against consideration of each bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Natural Resources now printed in each bill shall be considered as adopted. The bills, as amended, shall be considered read. Further amendments are in order. Each bill shall be debatable for one hour.
action_date: 2010-03-19
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1192. (consideration: CR H1669-1674, H1675-1676, H1676-1686; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H1669-1671)
action_date: 2010-03-18
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1192 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3644 and H.R. 1612. It shall be in order to consider in the House, H.R. 3644 and H.R. 1612. All points of order against consideration of each bill are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Natural Resources now printed in each bill shall be considered as adopted. The bills, as amended, shall be considered read. Further amendments are in order. Each bill shall be debatable for one hour.
action_date: 2010-01-12
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 229.
action_date: 2010-01-12
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 111-392.
action_date: 2010-01-12
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 111-392.
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 22 - 13.
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-11-18
text: Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Discharged.
action_date: 2009-10-15
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
action_date: 2009-09-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.
action_date: 2009-09-24
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
action_date: 2009-09-24
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-09-24
text: Introduced in House