Teacher:In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Teacher: Now, understand the problem? Solve this instance: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Environmental Professionals Training
and Certification Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds:
(1) Concern about the environment is growing and
environmental issues now affect all aspects of American
business and life. Americans now spend close to $70,000,000,000
annually on environmental-related expenditures.
(2) Business and industry spend approximately
$9,000,000,000 annually on various environmental consulting
services, including $1,200,000,000 for Phase I Environmental
Site Assessments.
(3) There are currently a large number of environmental
professionals performing Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
who are not properly trained and who do not perform the
assessments in a manner consistent with proper environmental
standards and guidelines. Such assessments, therefore, pose a
significant danger to the public health, safety, and welfare.
(4) Many organizations issue environmental certifications
without properly training or testing the candidates applying
for certification.
(5) The Federal Government does not presently have
authority to regulate the quality of training and certification
programs for environmental professionals and, with very few
exceptions, the certification of environmental professionals.
(6) Several organizations provide high quality training in
the environmental sciences, and the Federal Government should
support these efforts.
(7) Federal oversight is needed to ensure that training and
certification of environmental professionals meets certain
minimum quality standards which ultimately will serve to
protect the public interest.

SEC. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION.

(a) Definitions.--
(1) The term ''Administrator'' means the Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) The terms ''Phase I Environmental Site Assessment'' and
''ESA'' mean the process by which a person or entity seeks to
determine whether a particular parcel of real property is
subject to Recognized Environmental Conditions. These
conditions indicate the presence or likely presence of a
Hazardous Substance or Petroleum Product on a property under
conditions that indicate an existing release, a past release,
or a material threat of a release into structures on the
property or into the ground, ground water, or surface water of
the property.
(3) The term ''Board'' means the Environmental
Certification Board'' established under subsection (b).
(4) The term ''Certified Environmental Site Assessor''
means any person receiving certification to perform Phase I
ESAs from an Approved Environmental Training and Certification
Organization in accordance with this Act.
(5) The term ''Approved Environmental Training and
Certification Organization'' means any training and
certification organization, public or private, whose
curriculum, program, facilities, training, and testing methods
have been approved by the Administrator as complying with
standards established in accordance with this Act.
(6) The term ''State'' means the 50 States plus the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and
the United States Virgin Islands.
(b) Establishment of a Program To Regulate Training and
Certification of Environmental Site Assessors.--(1) Not later than 60
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator
shall establish a certification advisory board to be known as the
''Environmental Certification Board''.
(2) The Board shall consist of a minimum of 6 members, appointed by
the Administrator, with a demonstrated knowledge in the environmental
field. The Board shall include representatives from the Environmental
Protection Agency, environmental interest organizations, the chemical/
manufacturing industry, the environmental consulting service industry,
the insurance industry, and the banking/investment industry.
(3) All members of the Board shall serve on a voluntary basis,
except those members from the Environmental Protection Agency.
(4) The Board shall appoint one member to serve as Chairman who
shall exercise the executive and administrative functions of the Board.
(5) Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Board shall issue recommendations to the Administrator
which shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations regarding
the minimum standards to be established under subsection (c).
(c) Minimum Standards.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue regulations,
based on the recommendations of the Environmental Certification Board,
establishing minimum standards regulating environmental training and
certification organizations for environmental professionals performing
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments. The regulations shall include,
but not be limited to, minimum standards relating to--
(1) formal environmental training;
(2) continuing environmental education;
(3) environmental certification and testing procedures;
(4) revocation and disciplinary procedures;
(5) establishment of a code of ethics;
(6) consumer education;
(7) certification renewal procedures; and
(8) annual reporting of program activities.
(d) Approval and Review of Environmental Training and Certification
Organizations.--(1) The Administrator shall review the curriculum,
program, facilities, training, and certification methods of each
organization desiring to train and certify Phase I Environmental Site
Assessors to determine if the curriculum, program, facilities,
training, and certification methods are in compliance with the
standards set forth in subsection (c).
(2) If an organization's curriculum, program, facilities, training,
and certification methods are in compliance with the minimum standards
established under subsection (c), the Administrator shall issue a
notice that such organization is an Approved Environmental Training and
Certification Organization. This approval shall be valid for a term to
be set by the Administrator, but no longer than 5 years.
(e) Enforcement.--(1) No organization may issue a diploma,
certification, or any other form of degree signifying that the
recipient is a Certified Environmental Site Assessor, or qualified to
perform a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment unless that
organization has received approval from the Administrator under
subsection (d).
(2) The Administrator shall have the power to enjoin any
organization found to be in violation of paragraph (1). Any
organization found to be in violation of paragraph (1) shall be liable
for civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation. Any person,
corporation, or partnership found to be in violation of paragraph (1)
shall be liable for civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation.
(3) The Administrator may periodically, or upon expiration of
approval, review the program, curriculum, facilities, and training
methods of any Approved Environmental Training and Certification
Organization. If at any time the Administrator finds such organization
is no longer in compliance with the standards under subsection (c), the
Administrator shall place the organization on probation for a period of
1 year. If, after the 1-year probationary period, the organization is
still not conforming with the standards, the Administrator shall revoke
its approval of certification.
(4) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to preempt any State
from issuing additional or more stringent guidelines and regulations
regarding the training of environmental professionals.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator such
sums as necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.
Student:
Environmental Professionals Training and Certification Act of 1993 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to: (1) establish an Environmental Certification Board; and (2) issue regulations, based on the Board's recommendations, that establish minimum standards regulating environmental training and certification organizations for environmental professionals performing Phase I Environmental Site Assessments.
Defines a "Phase I Environmental Site Assessment" as a process by which a person determines whether a parcel of real property is subject to recognized environmental conditions which indicate the likely presence of a hazardous substance or petroleum product and the likely release into the ground, groundwater, or surface water.
Provides for approval of an organization if it meets minimum standards for curriculum, program, facilities, training, and certification methods. Makes such approval valid for up to five years. Bars unapproved organizations from issuing degrees signifying that a recipient is a certified environmental site assessor or qualified to perform a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. Prescribes civil penalties for such violation.
Authorizes appropriations.