Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H470 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3596 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 470
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Mindy Domb
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act concerning climate science education.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/20/2023 1 of 8
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3596 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 470
18	18	By Representative Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 470) of Mindy
19	19	Domb relative to climate science education and establishing a climate science education trust
20	20	fund. Education.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
24	24	(2023-2024)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act concerning climate science education.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
30	30	2section 2AAAAAA the following section:-
31	31	3 Section 2BBBBBB. (a) (1) To achieve, promote and support the instruction of climate
32	32	4science education for K-12 public school students in districts across the commonwealth, there
33	33	5shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as
34	34	6the Climate Science Education Trust Fund. The fund can be used to support the development,
35	35	7purchase and implementation of curriculum and educational resources related to professional
36	36	8development for educators and costs associated with curriculum implementation. The
37	37	9professional and resource development funded by the Climate Science Education Trust Fund can
38	38	10seek to increase students’ understanding of one’s influence on climate and climate’s influence on
39	39	11the individual and society and students’ knowledge and capacity to: (i) understand earth’s
40	40	12climate system, the natural and human caused factors that affect the climate and contribute to 2 of 8
41	41	13climate change, through observations, data collection and analysis and the ability to evaluate and
42	42	14construct scientific explanations about climate leading to decisions that improve quality of life
43	43	15and environmental health; (ii) assess scientifically credible information about climate; (iii)
44	44	16communicate about climate and climate change in a meaningful way; (iv) make informed and
45	45	17responsible decisions with regard to actions that may affect climate; (v) understand the strategies
46	46	18used by the commonwealth to address climate impacts concerning policy, community action and
47	47	19individual behavior; (vi) demonstrate awareness of the fundamental relationship between climate
48	48	20and society; (vii) take action to reduce the crisis in climate; and (viii) build the skills that will
49	49	21inspire and prepare them for potential careers related to climate change.
50	50	22 (2) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall administer the fund to
51	51	23assist in promoting the instruction of age-appropriate climate science issues in all public schools
52	52	24and school districts. There shall be credited to the fund:
53	53	25 (i) revenue from appropriations and other money authorized by the general court and
54	54	26specifically designated to be credited to the fund;
55	55	27 (ii) funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations to further
56	56	28climate science education; and
57	57	29 (iii) interest earned on money in the fund.
58	58	30 Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money
59	59	31remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund. 3 of 8
60	60	32 (b)(1) Amounts credited to the fund may be expended, without further appropriation, by
61	61	33the commissioner for purposes related to the instruction of elementary, middle and high school
62	62	34students on climate science, including, but not limited to:
63	63	35 (i) development, purchase, distribution and implementation of curricular materials
64	64	36detailing the underlying causes, international reaction, history and progression of scientific
65	65	37climate research; evidence based policy solutions; and the role of climate and environmental
66	66	38activism in making policy change; and
67	67	39 (ii) professional development training, including the provision of trainings, seminars,
68	68	40conferences and materials, for educators to use in the teaching of climate science in K-12 grades.
69	69	41Annually, not less than 50 per cent of the funds expended shall be allocated to public schools or
70	70	42school districts.
71	71	43 (2) In expending amounts credited to the fund, the commissioner may prioritize:
72	72	44 (i) underserved communities across the commonwealth including, those public schools or
73	73	45school districts with high concentrations of economically-disadvantaged students; those public
74	74	46schools or school districts who serve students from environmental justice populations, as defined
75	75	47in section 62 of chapter 30; or who exist in designated communities with environmental justice
76	76	48populations;
77	77	49 (ii) communities that have or will in the future experience disproportionate effects of the
78	78	50change in climate; and
79	79	51 (iii) schools implementing a climate science program for the first time consistent with the
80	80	52standards set by the department of elementary and secondary education. 4 of 8
81	81	53 (c) Amounts received from private sources shall be approved by the commissioner of
82	82	54elementary and secondary education and subject to review before being deposited in the fund to
83	83	55ensure that pledged funds are not accompanied by conditions, explicit or implicit, on the
84	84	56implementation of climate science programming that may be detrimental to the neutral and
85	85	57rigorous teaching of climate science or unduly influence the direction of climate science policy.
86	86	58The review shall be made publicly available on the department’s website.
87	87	59 (d)(1) There shall be a competitive grant program to promote the instruction of
88	88	60elementary, middle and high school students on climate science developed and administered by
89	89	61the department of elementary and secondary education for all public, vocational and
90	90	62collaborative schools. The department may expend funds from the fund for this grant program.
91	91	63 (2) The department shall prioritize grant applications that include:
92	92	64 (i) input from relevant community stakeholders including, but not limited to, local
93	93	65officials, municipal environmental commissions and community-based environmental
94	94	66organizations; or
95	95	67 (ii) plans to partner with community-based environmental education or environmental
96	96	68justice organizations or otherwise engage with the applicant’s local community; or
97	97	69 (iii) plans to partner with environmental justice populations, as defined in section 62 of
98	98	70chapter 30, and their communities including, community-based environmental organizations that
99	99	71engage with environmental justice populations. 5 of 8
100	100	72 (3) The department may use funds, public information sessions, technical assistance and
101	101	73other resources and outreach efforts as needed to ensure that every public school and school
102	102	74district has an opportunity to apply for grants.
103	103	75 (e) Annually, not later than October 1, the commissioner of elementary and secondary
104	104	76education shall report to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the joint committee
105	105	77on education and the house and senate committees on ways and means on the fund’s activities.
106	106	78The report shall include, but not be limited to:
107	107	79 (i) the source and amount of funds received;
108	108	80 (ii) the expenditures made from the fund and the purposes of such expenditures;
109	109	81 (iii) the names and towns of school districts that have received grants, indicating those
110	110	82that serve environmental justice populations, other partner organizations and the estimated
111	111	83number of students, grade levels, and classes who were projected to benefit from the grant and
112	112	84education program;
113	113	85 (iv) any anticipated remaining revenue from awards;
114	114	86 (v) the number of schools and school districts that have used the fund to implement a new
115	115	87program or enhance or maintain current programming; and
116	116	88 (vi) the number of schools and school districts that applied for, but were not granted,
117	117	89funding; and
118	118	90 (vii) the report shall be publicly available on the department’s website, along with the
119	119	91names and sources of materials developed or used and the partner organizations enlisted, as a
120	120	92result of the grant awards. 6 of 8
121	121	93 SECTION 2. The fifteenth paragraph of section 1I of chapter 69 of the General Laws, is
122	122	94hereby amended by striking out clauses (l) and (m) and inserting in place thereof the following 3
123	123	95clauses:-
124	124	96 (l) nutrition and wellness programs;
125	125	97 (m) genocide education programs; and
126	126	98 (n) climate science education programs.
127	127	99 SECTION 3. Said section 1I of said chapter 69, as so appearing, is hereby further
128	128	100amended by inserting after the sixteenth paragraph the following paragraph:-
129	129	101 Annually, not later than October 1, the commissioner shall provide a report on the
130	130	102progress of climate science education programs in public schools and school districts to the
131	131	103clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the joint committee on education. The
132	132	104report shall provide a description of the manner in which grantees under subsection (d) of section
133	133	1052BBBBBB of chapter 29 are offering climate science instruction including: (i) the number of
134	134	106hours of instruction public schools and school districts project will be offered as a result of the
135	135	107award; (ii) the grade levels at which such instruction is offered and the titles and sources for the
136	136	108curricula used to implement climate science education; and (iii) the title and description of the
137	137	109courses in which such instruction is integrated.
138	138	110 SECTION 4. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
139	139	111section:-
140	140	112 Section 100. (a) For purposes of this section, the following term shall have the following
141	141	113meaning: 7 of 8
142	142	114 “Climate science education” - an understanding of human influence on climate and
143	143	115climate’s influence on humans and society. As a result of climate science education, students will
144	144	116understand the essential principles of earth’s climate system; be able to assess scientifically
145	145	117credible information about climate and communicate about climate and climate change in a
146	146	118meaningful way; will have the ability to make informed decisions with regard to actions that may
147	147	119affect climate; and can take actions to reduce climate change and its impacts.
148	148	120 (b) The department shall establish a process to ensure that curriculum standards for the
149	149	121subjects of science, technology, history, social science and civics are reviewed to include,
150	150	122relevant interdisciplinary climate change standards that will incorporate:
151	151	123 (i) an understanding of climate;
152	152	124 (ii) the interconnected nature of climate change;
153	153	125 (iii) the potential local and global impacts of climate change;
154	154	126 (iv) the individual, societal and governmental actions that may mitigate the harmful
155	155	127effects of climate change; and
156	156	128 (v) the role of political engagement and activism in making environmental and climate
157	157	129change policy.
158	158	130 (c) The department may provide trainings, seminars, conferences and materials for
159	159	131educators and community-based environmental organizations to use in the teaching of climate
160	160	132science in person or through the use of synchronous or asynchronous audio, video, electronic
161	161	133media or other telecommunications technology in order to support the goals of climate science 8 of 8
162	162	134education. The department may also support school district training for parents and guardians to
163	163	135share curricular goals and topics.
164	164	136 (d) The office of climate innovation and resilience may be provided with an opportunity
165	165	137to advise the department on educating and informing public schools and school districts on
166	166	138matters related to climate in the commonwealth.
167	167	139 SECTION 5. Section 4 shall take effect for the school year beginning after July 1, 2024.