Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H6106 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2023 -- H 6106
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7	7	LC001729
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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 EDUCATION PROGRAM 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 OCEAN PROTECTION EDUCATION 4
28	28	PROGRAM ACT 5
29	29	16-112-1. Short title. 6
30	30	This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "The Rhode Island Climate Change 7
31	31	and Ocean Protection Education Program Act". 8
32	32	16-112-2. Definitions. 9
33	33	As used in this chapter: 10
34	34	(1) "Apprenticeship" means a proven model of job preparation that combines paid on-the-11
35	35	job learning with related instruction to progressively increase workers’ skill levels and wages. It is 12
36	36	an employer-driven model that provides an effective way for employers to recruit, train, and retain 13
37	37	highly skilled workers. As an "earn and learn" strategy, apprenticeship offers job seekers immediate 14
38	38	employment that offers advancement along a career path and a nationally recognized credential. 15
39	39	(2) "Blue economy" means an economy built on the sustainable use of ocean resources for 16
40	40	economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean 17
41	41	ecosystem. 18
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45	45	(3) "Climate change education" means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary learning at 1
46	46	all age levels about: 2
47	47	(i) Climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, and climate 3
48	48	justice; and 4
49	49	(ii) The effects of climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, 5
50	50	and climate justice on the environmental, energy, social, and economic systems of the United 6
51	51	States. 7
52	52	(4) "Climate literacy" means competence or knowledge of climate change, its causes and 8
53	53	impacts, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social dynamics of promising solutions. 9
54	54	(5) "Climate justice" means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, 10
55	55	regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, 11
56	56	implementation, and enforcement of policies and projects to ensure that each person enjoys the 12
57	57	same degree of protection from the adverse effects of climate change. 13
58	58	(6) "Environmental justice" means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all 14
59	59	people, regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, with respect to the 15
60	60	development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies to 16
61	61	ensure that each person enjoys: 17
62	62	(i) The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards; and 18
63	63	(ii) Equal access to any state agency action on environmental justice issues in order to have 19
64	64	a healthy environment in which to live, learn, work, and recreate. 20
65	65	(7) "Environmental justice community" means a community with significant representation 21
66	66	of communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and indigenous communities that 22
67	67	experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse human health or environmental 23
68	68	effects as compared to other communities. 24
69	69	(8) "Green economy" means an economy that results in improved human and economic 25
70	70	well-being and social equity by significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological 26
71	71	scarcities. 27
72	72	(9) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the 28
73	73	Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 29
74	74	(10) "Local educational agency" and "state educational agency" have the meanings given 30
75	75	those terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 31
76	76	7801). 32
77	77	(11) "Nonformal" means, with respect to learning, out-of-school educational programming 33
78	78	carried out by nonprofit organizations and public agencies. 34
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82	82	(12) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 1
83	83	Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under 501(a) of that Code. 2
84	84	(13) "Ocean literacy" means competence or knowledge of the ocean, its interaction with 3
85	85	humans, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social dynamics of ocean protection. 4
86	86	(14) "Ocean protection education" means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary learning 5
87	87	at all age levels about: 6
88	88	(i) Ocean life, human interactions with the ocean, the ocean’s physical geography, and 7
89	89	ocean-related environmental issues; and 8
90	90	(ii) The effects of ocean-related environmental issues on the environmental, energy, social, 9
91	91	and economic systems of the United States. 10
92	92	16-112-3. Funding. 11
93	93	There shall be an annual appropriation of no less than five hundred thousand dollars 12
94	94	($500,000) per fiscal year to invest in: 13
95	95	(1) Increasing capacity at established organizations running climate change and/or ocean 14
96	96	protection education programs that will enhance the climate and ocean literacy of Rhode Island 15
97	97	youth by broadening the understanding of climate change and ocean protection, including possible 16
98	98	long-term and short-term consequences, disproportionate impacts of those consequences, and 17
99	99	potential solutions; 18
100	100	(2) Applying the latest scientific and technological discoveries to provide formal and 19
101	101	nonformal learning opportunities to youth, including those of diverse cultural and linguistic 20
102	102	backgrounds; and 21
103	103	(3) Emphasizing actionable information to help young people understand and engage new 22
104	104	technologies, programs, and incentives related to climate change, climate adaptation and 23
105	105	mitigation, climate resilience, climate justice, environmental justice, and ocean protection. 24
106	106	16-112-4. Grant program. 25
107	107	(a) The department of labor and training shall disburse these funds to eligible recipients. 26
108	108	(b) Eligible recipients shall include: 27
109	109	(1) State educational agencies, in collaboration with local educational agencies and local 28
110	110	nonprofit organizations, for the implementation of climate and ocean literacy plans for formal and 29
111	111	nonformal climate change and ocean protection education for grades kindergarten through 12 (K-30
112	112	12) that: 31
113	113	(i) Are aligned with state education standards; 32
114	114	(ii) Ensure that students graduate from high school with climate and ocean literacy; 33
115	115	(iii) Include relevant teacher training and professional development; and 34
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119	119	(iv) Include at least one of the following: 1
120	120	(A) Integration of key climate change and ocean protection concepts into state education 2
121	121	standards for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), civics and social studies, 3
122	122	and other relevant subject areas during the next revision of such standards. 4
123	123	(B) Development of climate change and ocean protection education frameworks and model 5
124	124	curricula and curation and dissemination of existing climate change and ocean protection 6
125	125	curriculum materials. 7
126	126	(C) Creation of applied learning project-based models, such as models making optimum 8
127	127	use of green features improvements to school facilities, such as energy systems, lighting systems, 9
128	128	water management, waste management, and school grounds improvements. 10
129	129	(D) Incorporation of climate change mitigation and blue and green technologies into new 11
130	130	and existing career and technical education career tracks and work-based learning experiences, 12
131	131	including development of partnerships with labor organizations, trade organizations, and 13
132	132	apprenticeship programs. 14
133	133	(2) Institutions of higher education and networks or partnerships of such institutions to 15
134	134	engage teams of faculty and students to develop applied climate research and deliver to local 16
135	135	communities direct services related to local climate mitigation and adaptation and ocean protection 17
136	136	issues, with priority given to projects that: 18
137	137	(i) Foster long-term campus-community partnerships; 19
138	138	(ii) Show potential to scale work beyond the grant term; 20
139	139	(iii) Incorporate faculty training and professional development; 21
140	140	(iv) Are inclusive for all segments of the population; and 22
141	141	(v) Promote equitable and just outcomes. 23
142	142	(3) Professional associations and academic disciplinary societies for projects that build 24
143	143	capacity at the state level for continuing education by practicing professionals and the general 25
144	144	public in blue and green economy fields. 26
145	145	(4) Youth development and nonprofit organization programs that engage in community-27
146	146	based climate mitigation and adaptation and ocean protection work that includes a substantive 28
147	147	academic enrichment component. 29
148	148	(c)(1) The department of labor and training shall administer the grant program required by 30
149	149	subsection (a) of this section. 31
150	150	(2) The department of labor and training shall annually consult with other relevant agencies 32
151	151	of state and municipal government, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations 33
152	152	to determine ways in which grant making under subsection (b) of this section can enhance and 34
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156	156	support climate change and ocean protection education 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) and (b)(4) of this section to environmental justice 3
159	159	communities. 4
160	160	(4) The commission on postsecondary 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	16-112-5. 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 EDUCATION PROGRAM ACT
180	180	***
181	181	This act would appropriate five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) per fiscal year to 1
182	182	invest in climate change and ocean protection education to enhance literacy of these issues for 2
183	183	Rhode Island's youth and would include a grant program. 3
184	184	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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