H.R. 8406

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8406 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8406

To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to establish a Climate Change Education Program, and for 
other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 21, 2026

Mrs. Dingell (for herself and Ms. Brownley) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
in addition to the Committee on Education and 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 require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to establish a Climate Change Education Program, and for 
other purposes.

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 makes the following findings:
(1) The evidence for human-induced climate change is 
overwhelming and undeniable.
(2) According to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, 
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.
(3) 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.
(4) Implementation of measures that promote energy 
efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy will greatly 
reduce human impacts on the environment.
(5) Informing people of new technologies and programs as 
they become available will ensure maximum understanding and 
maximum effect of those measures.
(6) More than 3,500,000 students graduate from high schools 
and colleges in the United States each year, armed with 
attitudes, skills, and knowledge about the climate that inform 
their actions.
(7) The effect on the climate, positive or negative, of 
each of those 3,500,000 students lasts beyond a lifetime.
(8) Those students need to be prepared to implement changes 
in professional and personal practices, to support and help 
develop new technology and policy, and to address the coming 
social and economic challenges and opportunities arising from a 
changing climate.
(9) It has been demonstrated that the people of the United 
States overwhelmingly support teaching students about the 
causes, consequences, and potential solutions to climate change 
in all 50 States and more than 3,000 counties across the United 
States.
(10) Only 30 percent of middle school science teachers and 
45 percent of high school science teachers understand the 
extent of the scientific consensus on climate change.
(11) Section 4002(a) of the America COMPETES Act (33 U.S.C. 
893a(a)) requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to ``conduct, develop, support, promote, and 
coordinate formal and informal educational activities at all 
levels''.
(12) The existing Environmental Literacy Program of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was established 
in 2005 by the Bush administration as a backbone to an agency 
effort to advance sound environmental education for children 
and adults.
(13) Expanding the popular Environmental Literacy Program 
(less than 5 percent of applications in 2020 received funding) 
to include climate education for professional educators and 
students is within the established expertise of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and will effectively 
leverage critical resources for foundational learning and 
career preparation.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Climate change education.--The term ``climate change 
education'' means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary 
learning at all age levels about--
(A) climate change, climate adaptation and 
mitigation, climate resilience, and climate justice; 
and
(B) the effects of climate change, climate 
adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, and 
climate justice on the environmental, energy, social, 
and economic systems of the United States.
(2) Climate justice.--The term ``climate justice'' means 
the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, 
regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, 
with respect to the development, implementation, and 
enforcement of policies and projects to ensure that each person 
enjoys the same degree of protection from the adverse effects 
of climate change.
(3) Climate literacy.--The term ``climate literacy'' means 
competence or knowledge of climate change, its causes and 
impacts, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social 
dynamics of promising solutions.
(4) Environmental justice.--The term ``environmental 
justice'' means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement 
of all people, regardless of race, color, culture, national 
origin, or income, with respect to the development, 
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, 
regulations, and policies to ensure that each person enjoys--
(A) the same degree of protection from 
environmental and health hazards; and
(B) equal access to any Federal agency action on 
environmental justice issues in order to have a healthy 
environment in which to live, learn, work, and 
recreate.
(5) Environmental justice community.--The term 
``environmental justice community'' means a community with 
significant representation of communities of color, low-income 
communities, or Tribal and indigenous communities that 
experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more 
adverse human health or environmental effects as compared to 
other communities.
(6) Green economy.--The term ``green economy'' means an 
economy that results in improved human and economic well-being 
and social equity by significantly reducing environmental risks 
and ecological scarcities.
(7) Institution of higher education.--The term 
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1001).
(8) Local educational agency; state educational agency.--
The terms ``local educational agency'' and ``State educational 
agency'' have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801).
(9) Nonformal.--The term ``nonformal'' means, with respect 
to learning, out-of-school educational programming carried out 
by nonprofit organizations and public agencies.
(10) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
organization'' means an organization described in section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
taxation under section 501(a) of that Code.

SEC. 4. CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION PROGRAM.

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration shall establish a Climate Change Education Program 
within the Office of Education of the Administration to--
(1) increase the climate literacy of the United States by 
broadening the understanding of climate change, including 
possible long-term and short-term consequences, 
disproportionate impacts of those consequences, and potential 
solutions;
(2) apply the latest scientific and technological 
discoveries, including through the use of the scientific assets 
of the Administration, to provide formal and nonformal learning 
opportunities to individuals of all ages, including individuals 
of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds; and
(3) emphasize actionable information to help people 
understand and promote implementation of new technologies, 
jobs, career training, programs, and incentives related to 
climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate 
resilience, climate justice, and environmental justice.

SEC. 5. GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, as part of the Climate Change Education Program 
established under section 4, the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration shall establish a program to award 
grants to, or establish cooperative agreements with, the following:
(1) State educational agencies, in partnership with local 
educational agencies and local nonprofit organizations, and, 
subject to subsection (c), local educational agencies--
(A) for the development and implementation of 
aspects of climate literacy plans for grades 4 through 
12 formal and nonformal climate change education that--
(i) are aligned with State education 
standards; and
(ii) ensure that students graduate from 
high school with climate literacy; and
(B) for the implementation of projects that--
(i) in the case of State educational 
agencies, include--
(I) relevant training and 
professional development for educators, 
which may include tiered mentorship 
frameworks;
(II) integration of key climate 
change concepts into State education 
standards for science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics (STEM), 
civics and social studies, career and 
technical education, and other relevant 
subject areas during the next revision 
of such standards;
(III) development of climate change 
education frameworks and model 
curricula and curation and 
dissemination of existing such 
frameworks and curricula;
(IV) creation of applied learning 
project-based models, particularly 
those that allow for student leadership 
in project development and applied 
field work, such as models making 
optimum use of green features 
improvements, such as low-cost 
environmental monitoring sensors, to 
school facilities such as energy 
systems, lighting systems, food 
systems, water management systems, 
waste management systems, and school 
grounds; and
(V) incorporation of climate change 
mitigation and green technologies into 
new and existing high-quality career 
and technical education career pathways 
and work-based learning experiences in 
high-demand climate-related jobs, 
including development of partnerships 
with labor organizations, trade 
organizations, and apprenticeship 
programs; and
(ii) in the case of local educational 
agencies--
(I) develop, modify, or implement 
district-level plans to advance climate 
change education that consider 
facilities, curriculum, environmental 
health, professional development for 
educators, student experiences, and 
equity; and
(II) support community partnerships 
among local educational agencies, 
nonformal education providers, 
community-based organizations, and 
other partners to advance climate 
change education priorities.
(2) Institutions of higher education and networks or 
partnerships of such institutions to engage teams of faculty 
and students to develop applied climate research and deliver to 
local communities direct services related to local climate 
mitigation and adaptation issues, with priority given to 
projects that--
(A) foster long-term campus-community partnerships;
(B) show potential to scale work beyond the term of 
the grant or cooperative agreement;
(C) involve significant student input in the 
project development process;
(D) are inclusive for all segments of the 
population; and
(E) promote equitable and just outcomes.
(3) Professional associations and academic disciplinary 
societies for projects that build capacity at the State and 
national levels for continuing education by practicing 
professionals and the general public in green economy fields.
(4) Youth corps organizations to engage in community-based 
climate mitigation and adaptation work that includes a 
substantive educational component.
(b) Communities of Practice.--The Climate Change Education Program 
shall establish communities of practice with respect to each of 
paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a) in order to accelerate 
learning.
(c) Local Educational Agencies.--The Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may not award a grant to, or 
establish a cooperative agreement with, a local educational agency in 
any fiscal year under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) unless amounts 
appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements under such 
subsection for that fiscal year exceed $5,000,000.
(d) Allocation of Amounts.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
amounts appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements 
under subsection (a) shall be allocated as follows:
(A) 50 percent for grants and cooperative 
agreements under paragraph (1) of such subsection.
(B) 30 percent for grants and cooperative 
agreements under paragraph (2) of such subsection.
(C) 10 percent for grants and cooperative 
agreements under paragraph (3) of such subsection.
(D) 10 percent for grants and cooperative 
agreements under paragraph (4) of such subsection.
(2) Exception.--If amounts appropriated for grants and 
cooperative agreements under subsection (a) do not exceed 
$5,000,000 in any fiscal year, the Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may use in that 
fiscal year--
(A) 60 percent of such amounts for grants and 
cooperative agreements under paragraph (1) of such 
subsection; and
(B) 40 percent of such amounts for grants and 
cooperative agreements under paragraph (2) of such 
subsection.
(3) Environmental justice communities.--40 percent of all 
amounts allocated for grants and cooperative agreements under 
paragraphs (2) and (4) of subsection (a) shall be directed into 
environmental justice communities.
(e) Grant and Cooperative Agreement Minimum.--If amounts 
appropriated for grants and cooperative agreements under subsection (a) 
exceed $5,000,000 in any fiscal year, any grant awarded to, or 
cooperative agreement established with, an entity under paragraph (1) 
of such subsection shall provide the entity a minimum of $1,000,000 in 
that fiscal year.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT.

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall submit to Congress a report that 
evaluates the scientific merits, educational effectiveness, and broader 
effects of activities carried out under this Act.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There is authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to carry out this Act $50,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2027 through 2032.
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