Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H6105 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2023 -- H 6105
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7	7	LC001727
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE RHODE ISLAND CLIMATE CHANGE AND O CEAN
16	16	PROTECTION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Carson, Donovan, Speakman, McGaw,
18	18	Tanzi, Boylan, Handy, Spears, and Potter
19	19	Date Introduced: March 03, 2023
20	20	Referred To: House Finance
21	21
22	22
23	23	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
24	24	SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by 1
25	25	adding thereto the following chapter: 2
26	26	CHAPTER 112 3
27	27	THE RHODE ISLAND CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN PROTECTION WORKFORCE 4
28	28	DEVELOPMENT ACT 5
29	29	16-112-1. Definitions. 6
30	30	As used in this chapter: 7
31	31	(1) "Apprenticeship" means a proven model of job preparation that combines paid on-the-8
32	32	job learning with related instruction to progressively increase workers’ skill levels and wages. It is 9
33	33	an employer-driven model that provides an effective way for employers to recruit, train, and retain 10
34	34	highly skilled workers. As an “earn and learn” strategy, apprenticeship offers job seekers immediate 11
35	35	employment that offers advancement along a career path and a nationally recognized credential. 12
36	36	(2) "Blue economy" means an economy built on the sustainable use of ocean resources for 13
37	37	economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean 14
38	38	ecosystem. 15
39	39	(3) "Climate change education" means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary learning at 16
40	40	all age levels about: 17
41	41	(i) Climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, and climate 18
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45	45	justice; and 1
46	46	(ii) The effects of climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, 2
47	47	and climate justice on the environmental, energy, social, and economic systems of the United 3
48	48	States. 4
49	49	(4) "Climate literacy" means competence or knowledge of climate change, its causes and 5
50	50	impacts, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social dynamics of promising solutions. 6
51	51	(5) "Climate justice" means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, 7
52	52	regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, 8
53	53	implementation, and enforcement of policies and projects to ensure that each person enjoys the 9
54	54	same degree of protection from the adverse effects of climate change. 10
55	55	(6) "Environmental justice" means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all 11
56	56	people, regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, with respect to the 12
57	57	development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies to 13
58	58	ensure that each person enjoys: 14
59	59	(i) The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards; and 15
60	60	(ii) Equal access to any federal agency action on environmental justice issues in order to 16
61	61	have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, work, and recreate. 17
62	62	(7) "Environmental justice community" means a community with significant representation 18
63	63	of communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and indigenous communities that 19
64	64	experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse human health or environmental 20
65	65	effects as compared to other communities. 21
66	66	(8) "Green economy" means an economy that results in improved human and economic 22
67	67	well-being and social equity by significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological 23
68	68	scarcities. 24
69	69	(9) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the 25
70	70	Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 26
71	71	(10) "Local educational agency; State educational agency" have the meanings given those 27
72	72	terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 28
73	73	(11) "Nonformal" means, with respect to learning, out-of-school educational programming 29
74	74	carried out by nonprofit organizations and public agencies. 30
75	75	(12) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 31
76	76	Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under 501(a) of that Code. 32
77	77	(13) "Ocean literacy" means competence or knowledge of the ocean, its interaction with 33
78	78	humans, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social dynamics of ocean protection. 34
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82	82	(14) "Ocean protection education" means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary learning 1
83	83	at all age levels about: 2
84	84	(i) Ocean life, human interactions with the ocean, the ocean’s physical geography, and 3
85	85	ocean-related environmental issues; and 4
86	86	(ii) The effects of ocean-related environmental issues on the environmental, energy, social, 5
87	87	and economic systems of the United States. 6
88	88	(15) "Union" means an organization of workers who are employed by the same employer 7
89	89	and who use their collective power to enhance the standard of living for all workers and their 8
90	90	families. 9
91	91	16-112-2. Funding. 10
92	92	There shall be an annual appropriation of no less than five hundred thousand dollars 11
93	93	($500,000) per fiscal year to invest in: 12
94	94	(1) Increasing and enhancing climate and ocean literacy of the Rhode Island workforce by 13
95	95	broadening the understanding of climate change and ocean protection, including possible long-term 14
96	96	and short-term consequences, disproportionate impacts of those consequences, and potential 15
97	97	solutions; 16
98	98	(2) Applying the latest scientific and technological discoveries to provide formal and 17
99	99	nonformal learning opportunities to individuals of all ages, including individuals of diverse cultural 18
100	100	and linguistic backgrounds; and 19
101	101	(3) Emphasizing actionable information and transferrable skills to help people understand 20
102	102	and promote implementation of new technologies, programs, and incentives related to climate 21
103	103	change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, climate justice, environmental 22
104	104	justice, and ocean protection. 23
105	105	16-112-3. Grant program. 24
106	106	(a) The department of labor and training shall disburse these funds to eligible recipients. 25
107	107	(b) Eligible recipients shall include: 26
108	108	(1) State and local educational agencies, in collaboration with local businesses and local 27
109	109	nonprofit organizations, for the implementation of climate and ocean literacy plans for formal and 28
110	110	nonformal climate change and ocean protection education for people ages sixteen (16) years and 29
111	111	up that: 30
112	112	(i) Are aligned with state education standards; 31
113	113	(ii) Ensure that students graduate from high school with climate and ocean literacy; 32
114	114	(iii) Include relevant teacher training and professional development; and 33
115	115	(iv) Include at least one of the following: 34
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119	119	(A) Integration of key climate change and ocean protection concepts into state education 1
120	120	standards for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), civics and social studies, 2
121	121	and other relevant subject areas during the next revision of such standards. 3
122	122	(B) Development of climate change and ocean protection education frameworks and model 4
123	123	curricula and curation and dissemination of existing climate change and ocean protection 5
124	124	curriculum materials. 6
125	125	(C) Creation of applied learning project-based models, such as models making optimum 7
126	126	use of green features improvements to school facilities, such as energy systems, lighting systems, 8
127	127	water management, waste management, and school grounds improvements. 9
128	128	(D) Incorporation of climate change mitigation and blue and green technologies into new 10
129	129	and existing career and technical education career tracks and work-based learning experiences, 11
130	130	including development of partnerships with labor organizations, trade organizations, and 12
131	131	apprenticeship programs. 13
132	132	(2) Institutions of higher education and networks or partnerships of such institutions to 14
133	133	engage teams of faculty and students to develop applied climate research and deliver to local 15
134	134	community's direct services related to local climate mitigation and adaptation and ocean protection 16
135	135	issues, with priority given to projects that: 17
136	136	(i) Foster long-term campus-community partnerships; 18
137	137	(ii) Show potential to scale work beyond the grant term; 19
138	138	(iii) Incorporate faculty training and professional development; 20
139	139	(iv) Are inclusive for all segments of the population; and 21
140	140	(v) Promote equitable and just outcomes. 22
141	141	(3) Professional associations and academic disciplinary societies for projects that build 23
142	142	capacity at the state and national levels for continuing education by practicing professionals and 24
143	143	the general public in blue and green economy fields. 25
144	144	(4) Youth development and nonprofit organization programs that engage in community-26
145	145	based climate mitigation and adaptation and ocean protection work that includes a substantive 27
146	146	educational and apprenticeship component. 28
147	147	(c)(1) The department of labor and training shall administer the grant program required by 29
148	148	subsection (a) of this section. 30
149	149	(2) The department of labor shall annually consult with other relevant agencies of state and 31
150	150	municipal government, nonprofit organizations, businesses, labor unions, and community-based 32
151	151	organizations to determine ways in which grant making under subsection (b) of this section can 33
152	152	enhance and support other climate change and ocean protection education, workforce development 34
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156	156	and training, and environmental justice goals. 1
157	157	(3) The department of labor and training shall direct at least forty percent (40%) of all funds 2
158	158	appropriated for grants under subsections (b)(2) through (b)(4) of this section to environmental 3
159	159	justice communities. 4
160	160	(4) The commission on post-secondary education shall establish communities of practice 5
161	161	with respect to each of subsections (b)(1) through (b)(4) of this section in order to accelerate 6
162	162	learning. 7
163	163	16-112-4. Reporting. 8
164	164	The department of labor and training shall report annually to the general assembly and the 9
165	165	governor no later than December 31 of each year on the status and progress of the program 10
166	166	authorized by this chapter. 11
167	167	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 12
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174	174	EXPLANATION
175	175	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
176	176	OF
177	177	A N A C T
178	178	RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE RHODE ISLAND CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEA N
179	179	PROTECTION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT
180	180	***
181	181	This act would appropriate five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) per fiscal year to 1
182	182	invest in a climate change and ocean protection workforce development grant program. 2
183	183	This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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