[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4461 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4461
To authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to
establish a Climate Change Education Program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 10, 2014
Mr. Honda introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as
fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to
establish a Climate Change Education Program.
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 finds that--
(1) the evidence for human-induced climate change is
overwhelming and undeniable;
(2) the United States is the second highest emitter of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the world;
(3) 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;
(4) 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;
(5) implementation of measures that promote energy
efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy will greatly
reduce human impact on the environment; and
(6) informing people of new technologies and programs as
they become available will ensure maximum understanding and
maximum impact of those measures.
SEC. 3. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ``climate change education'' means informal
and formal interdisciplinary learning at all age levels about climate
change and its effects on environmental, energy, social, and economic
systems.
SEC. 4. CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall establish
a Climate Change Education Program to--
(1) broaden the understanding of human induced climate
change, possible long-term and short-term consequences, and
potential solutions;
(2) apply the latest scientific and technological
discoveries to provide formal and informal learning
opportunities to people of all ages, including those of diverse
cultural and linguistic backgrounds;
(3) emphasize actionable information to help people
understand and to promote implementation of new technologies,
programs, and incentives related to energy conservation,
renewable energy, and greenhouse gas reduction; and
(4) inform the public of impacts to human health and safety
as a result of climate change.
SEC. 5. PROGRAM ELEMENTS.
The Climate Change Education Program shall include--
(1) a national information campaign to disseminate
information on and promote implementation of the new
technologies, programs, and incentives described in section
4(3); and
(2) the grant program described in section 6.
SEC. 6. GRANT PROGRAM.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall establish
a program to make grants--
(1) to support national public education, outreach, and
communication programs to engage substantial numbers of the
public in understanding climate change while developing
educated and empowered consumers, investors, and citizens;
(2) to encourage and support statewide plans and programs
for climate change education, including relevant teacher
training and professional development, STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, and
multidisciplinary studies to ensure that students graduate from
high school climate literate, with a particular focus on
programs that advance widespread State and local educational
agency adoption of climate change education, including funding
for State education agencies to--
(A) integrate key principles of climate change
education into existing K-12 State academic content
standards, student academic achievement standards, or
State curriculum frameworks;
(B) create model State climate change curricula; or
(C) create State green school building standards or
policies;
(3) to improve the quality of and access to higher
education in green collar industries and green economy-related
fields such as green business, technology, engineering, policy
studies, and sustainability science, with a particular focus on
programs that address restructuring institutional incentives
and reducing institutional barriers to widespread faculty
adoption of interdisciplinary teaching of climate change
education;
(4) for institutions of higher education to engage teams of
faculty and students to develop applied climate research and
deliver to local communities direct services on climate
mitigation and adaptation issues impacting such communities,
with a priority on distressed communities; and
(5) for projects that build capacity for climate adaptation
at the State and national level including--
(A) career education;
(B) expanding green collar workforce training;
(C) secondary school preparation or work-based
experiences in green collar fields; and
(D) continuing education needed for practicing
professionals for green economy-related fields.
SEC. 7. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and
annually thereafter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration shall transmit to Congress a report that evaluates the
scientific merits, educational effectiveness, and broader impacts of
activities under this Act.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015
through 2019 for carrying out this Act.
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