Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S391 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 896 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 391
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Jason M. Lewis
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 implementing elementary and secondary interdisciplinary climate literacy education.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Jason M. LewisFifth MiddlesexJames B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester1/28/2025Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex1/29/2025Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/29/2025Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk2/3/2025Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/7/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/12/2025Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/18/2025Manny Cruz7th Essex2/26/2025Brendan P. CrightonThird Essex3/4/2025 1 of 5
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 896 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 391
18	18	By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 391) of Jason M. Lewis, James B.
19	19	Eldridge, Rebecca L. Rausch, Joanne M. Comerford and other members of the General Court for
20	20	legislation to implement elementary and secondary interdisciplinary climate literacy education in
21	21	public schools. Education.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE SENATE, NO. 2668 OF 2023-2024.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
27	27	(2025-2026)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act implementing elementary and secondary interdisciplinary climate literacy education.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
33	33	2is hereby amended by adding the following section.
34	34	3 Section 2BBBBBB
35	35	4 (a) To achieve, promote and support the instruction of interdisciplinary climate literacy
36	36	5education for K-12 public school students in districts across the commonwealth, there shall be
37	37	6established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the
38	38	7Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Trust Fund. There shall be credited to the fund: (1) revenue
39	39	8from appropriations and other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated
40	40	9to be credited to the fund; (2) funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants, and 2 of 5
41	41	10donations to further interdisciplinary climate literacy education; and (3) interest earned on money
42	42	11in the fund.  Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any
43	43	12money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund.
44	44	13 (b)(1) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education, in consultation with the
45	45	14Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Council established in section 1U(b) of chapter 69 of the
46	46	15General Laws, shall make expenditures from the fund, without further appropriation, to support
47	47	16the development and implementation of Elementary and Secondary Interdisciplinary Climate
48	48	17Literacy Plans, including, but not limited to:
49	49	18 (i) development, purchase, distribution and implementation of curricular materials for
50	50	19interdisciplinary climate literacy;
51	51	20 (ii) professional development training, including the provision of trainings, seminars,
52	52	21conferences and materials, for educators to use in the teaching of interdisciplinary climate
53	53	22literacy in K-12 grades;
54	54	23 (iii) opportunities for districts and stakeholders to assess and share evidence-based best
55	55	24practices in support of climate change education and student skill development, and to provide
56	56	25feedback and recommendations to the department.; and
57	57	26 (iv) provide technical support to districts for their elementary and secondary
58	58	27interdisciplinary climate literacy plans.
59	59	28 (2) In making such expenditures, the commissioner shall prioritize underserved
60	60	29communities across the commonwealth including those public schools or school districts with
61	61	30high concentrations of economically-disadvantaged students; those public schools or school 3 of 5
62	62	31districts which serve high proportion of students from environmental justice populations, as
63	63	32defined in section 62 of chapter 30 of the General Laws; or which are located in environmental
64	64	33justice communities or communities that have or will in the future experience disproportionate
65	65	34effects of the change in climate.
66	66	35 (3) In making such expenditures, the commissioner may also prioritize schools
67	67	36implementing an interdisciplinary climate literacy program for the first time consistent with the
68	68	37standards set by the department of elementary and secondary education.
69	69	38 SECTION 2. Section 1D of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
70	70	39Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “skills”, in line 38, the following
71	71	40words:-
72	72	41 , interdisciplinary climate literacy
73	73	42 SECTION 3. Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official edition,
74	74	43is hereby amended by inserting after section 1T the following new section:-
75	75	44 Section 1U. Elementary and Secondary Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Plans
76	76	45 (a) as used in this section the following word shall, unless the context clearly requires
77	77	46otherwise, have the following meaning:-
78	78	47 “Interdisciplinary climate literacy”, An understanding of how human actions influence
79	79	48the climate, and how the climate influences people and other parts of the Earth system through
80	80	49the curricula of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, arts, history, social sciences,
81	81	50civics, and government. 4 of 5
82	82	51 (b) The commissioner shall create an Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Advisory
83	83	52Council. The commissioner, in consultation with the Council, shall promulgate guidelines on the
84	84	53development and implementation of district-level Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Plans.
85	85	54 (c) The council shall consist of 10 members: 2 youth leaders from a range of
86	86	55communities across the Commonwealth, including representatives of diverse environmental
87	87	56justice neighborhoods; 2 representatives of environmental justice organizations; 2 educators
88	88	57representing different disciplines from the fields of science, technology, engineering,
89	89	58mathematics, arts, history, social sciences, civics, or government; 2 representatives of
90	90	59environmental education organizations, 1 educator union representative with experience and
91	91	60expertise in youth mentorship, and 2 experts in climate science and best practices in policy.
92	92	61 (d) The guidelines promulgated by the commissioner with the Council shall require
93	93	62district-level Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Plans to:
94	94	63 (1) be developed with the involvement and input of youth from the district;
95	95	64 (2) be developed in consultation with environmental, environmental education, civics,
96	96	65and environmental justice organizations or professionals; and
97	97	66 (3) provide equivalent culturally competent instruction and opportunities for English
98	98	67language learners.
99	99	68 (e) Each district may implement an Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Plan that will
100	100	69provide students with an understanding of the causes of, impacts from, and policy proposals
101	101	70addressing anthropogenic climate change. Plans shall include, but not be limited to; education
102	102	71on environmental justice, the underlying causes of climate change, the effects and consequences 5 of 5
103	103	72of climate change, international reactions, history, and progression of scientific climate research
104	104	73and governmental and nongovernmental responses; evidence based policy solutions, the role of
105	105	74climate and environmental activism in policy making, the essential principles of Earth’s climate
106	106	75system, the options to address human-caused climate change, how to recognize credible
107	107	76information about climate change and know where to find it; how to communicate about climate
108	108	77change in accurate and effective ways, and how to make informed decisions related to climate
109	109	78change.
110	110	79 (f) The department shall utilize funding from the Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Trust
111	111	80Fund to support districts to develop or implement their Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Plans.
112	112	81 (g) Annually, not later than October 1, the commissioner of elementary and secondary
113	113	82education shall report to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the joint committee
114	114	83on education and the house and senate committees on ways and means on the fund’s activities.
115	115	84The report shall include, but not be limited to:
116	116	85 (i) the source and amount of funds received;
117	117	86 (ii) the expenditures made from the fund and the purposes of such expenditures, including
118	118	87the school districts that have received funding, indicating those that serve environmental justice
119	119	88populations; the purpose of the funds, and the estimated number of students, grade levels, and
120	120	89classes who were projected to benefit from the Fund’s support; and
121	121	90 (iii) the report shall be publicly available on the department’s website, along with the
122	122	91names and sources of educational materials developed or used and the partner organizations
123	123	92enlisted, as a result of the grant awards in order to increase access to these resources.