2024 -- S 2356 | |
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LC004692 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE RHODE ISLAND | |
CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN PROTECTION YOUTH EDUCATION AND | |
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT | |
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Introduced By: Senators Lawson, Euer, Gu, Lauria, Britto, Pearson, DiMario, Valverde, | |
Date Introduced: February 12, 2024 | |
Referred To: Senate Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND |
2 | GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
3 | CHAPTER 6.3 |
4 | THE RHODE ISLAND CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN PROTECTION YOUTH |
5 | EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT |
6 | 42-6.3-1. Short title. |
7 | This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "The Rhode Island Climate Change |
8 | and Ocean Protection Youth Education and Workforce Development Act". |
9 | 42-6.3-2. Definitions. |
10 | As used in this chapter: |
11 | (1) "Apprenticeship" means a proven model of job preparation that combines paid on-the- |
12 | job learning with related instruction to progressively increase workers' skill levels and wages. It is |
13 | an employer-driven model that provides an effective way for employers to recruit, train, and retain |
14 | highly skilled workers. As an earn and learn strategy, apprenticeship offers job seekers immediate |
15 | employment that offers advancement along a career path and a nationally recognized credential. |
16 | (2) "Blue economy" means an economy built on the sustainable use of ocean resources for |
17 | economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean |
18 | ecosystem. |
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1 | (3) "Climate change education" means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary learning at |
2 | all age levels about: |
3 | (i) Climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, and climate |
4 | justice; and |
5 | (ii) The effects of climate change, climate adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, |
6 | and climate justice on the environmental, energy, social, and economic systems of the United |
7 | States. |
8 | (4) "Climate justice" means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, |
9 | regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, |
10 | implementation, and enforcement of policies and projects to ensure that each person enjoys the |
11 | same degree of protection from the adverse effects of climate change. |
12 | (5) "Climate literacy" means competence or knowledge of climate change, its causes and |
13 | impacts, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social dynamics of promising solutions. |
14 | (6) "Communities of practice" means a network of practitioners bound by a shared interest |
15 | and purpose who develop relationships, share ideas, and build knowledge and skills through |
16 | repeated interactions to advance a domain of professional practice. |
17 | (7) "Environmental justice" means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all |
18 | people, regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, or income, with respect to the |
19 | development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies to |
20 | ensure that each person enjoys: |
21 | (i) The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards; and |
22 | (ii) Equal access to any state agency action on environmental justice issues in order to have |
23 | a healthy environment in which to live, learn, work, and recreate. |
24 | (8) "Environmental justice community" means a community with significant representation |
25 | of communities of color, low-income communities, or tribal and indigenous communities that |
26 | experiences, or is at risk of experiencing higher or more adverse human health or environmental |
27 | effects as compared to other communities. |
28 | (9) "Green economy" means an economy that results in improved human and economic |
29 | well-being and social equity by significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological |
30 | scarcities. |
31 | 10) "Local educational agency" and "state educational agency" have the meanings given |
32 | those terms in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 7801. |
33 | (11) "Nonformal" means, with respect to learning, out-of-school educational programming |
34 | carried out by nonprofit organizations and public agencies. |
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1 | (12) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization exempt from taxation pursuant to the |
2 | provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. § 501. |
3 | (13) "Ocean literacy" means competence or knowledge of the ocean, its interaction with |
4 | humans, and the technical, scientific, economic, and social dynamics of ocean protection. |
5 | (14) "Ocean protection education" means nonformal and formal interdisciplinary learning |
6 | at all age levels about: |
7 | (i) Ocean life, human interactions with the ocean, the ocean's physical geography, and |
8 | ocean-related environmental issues; and |
9 | (ii) The effects of ocean-related environmental issues on the environmental, energy, social, |
10 | and economic systems of the United States. |
11 | 42-6.3-3. Appropriations. |
12 | (a) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, there is hereby appropriated, out of money |
13 | in the treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) |
14 | to implement the grant program provided in § 42-6.3-4; and the state controller is hereby authorized |
15 | and directed to draw the controller's orders upon the general treasurer for payment of said sum, or |
16 | so much thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt by the general treasurer of |
17 | properly authenticated vouchers. |
18 | (b) For the fiscal year 2025-2026, and each fiscal year thereafter, the general assembly |
19 | shall annually appropriate a sum as it may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, |
20 | and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw the controller's orders upon the |
21 | general treasurer for the payment of the sum or sums or so much thereof as may be required from |
22 | time to time, upon receipt by the general treasurer of properly authenticated vouchers. |
23 | 42-6.3-4. Grant program. |
24 | (a) There is hereby established a grant program to promote and enhance climate change |
25 | and ocean protection educational programs for youth pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. The |
26 | director of the department of labor and training, after consultation with the director of the |
27 | department of environmental management, shall disburse appropriated funds pursuant to § 42-6.3- |
28 | 3 to eligible recipients using a competitive grant process, and establish standards and an application |
29 | process for the grants, in order to: |
30 | (1) Increase capacity at established organizations running climate change and/or ocean |
31 | protection education programs that will enhance the climate and ocean literacy of Rhode Island |
32 | youth and workforce by broadening the understanding of climate change and ocean protection, |
33 | including possible long-term and short-term consequences, disproportionate impacts of those |
34 | consequences, and potential solutions; |
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1 | (2) Apply the latest scientific and technological discoveries to provide formal and |
2 | nonformal learning opportunities to youth, including those of diverse cultural and linguistic |
3 | backgrounds; and |
4 | (3) Emphasize actionable information and transferrable skills to help young people |
5 | understand and engage new technologies, programs, and incentives related to climate change, |
6 | climate adaptation and mitigation, climate resilience, climate justice, environmental justice, and |
7 | ocean protection. |
8 | (b) Eligible recipients shall include: |
9 | (1) State educational agencies, in collaboration with local educational agencies and local |
10 | nonprofit organizations, for the implementation of climate and ocean literacy plans for formal and |
11 | nonformal climate change and ocean protection education for people ages five (5) through eighteen |
12 | (18) that: |
13 | (i) Are aligned with state education standards; |
14 | (ii) Include relevant teacher training and professional development; and |
15 | (iii) Include at least one of the following: |
16 | (A) Integration of key climate change and ocean protection concepts into state education |
17 | standards for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), civics and social studies, |
18 | and other relevant subject areas during the next revision of such standards. |
19 | (B) Development of climate change and ocean protection education frameworks and model |
20 | curricula and curation and dissemination of existing climate change and ocean protection |
21 | curriculum materials. |
22 | (C) Creation of applied learning project-based models, such as models making optimum |
23 | use of green features improvements to school facilities, such as energy systems, lighting systems, |
24 | water management, waste management, and school grounds improvements. |
25 | (D) Incorporation of climate change mitigation and blue and green economy technologies |
26 | into new and existing career and technical education career tracks and work-based learning |
27 | experiences, including development of partnerships with labor organizations, trade organizations, |
28 | and apprenticeship programs. |
29 | (2) Youth development and nonprofit organization programs that engage in community- |
30 | based climate mitigation and adaptation and ocean protection work that includes a substantive |
31 | academic enrichment component for youth ages five (5) through eighteen (18). |
32 | (3) State-recognized tribal programs that engage in community-based climate mitigation |
33 | and adaptation and ocean protection work that includes a substantive academic enrichment |
34 | component for youth ages five (5) through eighteen (18). |
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1 | 42-6.3-5. Department of labor and training - Administration of program. |
2 | (a) The director of the department of labor and training, after consultation with the |
3 | department of environmental management, shall administer the grant program established pursuant |
4 | to § 42-6.3-4 using a competitive grant process, and establish standards and an application process |
5 | for the grants. |
6 | (b) The director of the department of labor and training shall annually consult with other |
7 | relevant agencies of state and municipal government, nonprofit organizations, and community- |
8 | based organizations to determine ways in which grant making pursuant to the provisions of this |
9 | chapter may enhance and support climate change and ocean protection education, workforce |
10 | development and training, and environmental justice goals. |
11 | (c) The director of the department of labor and training shall direct at least forty percent |
12 | (40%) percent of all funds appropriated for grants to serve environmental justice communities. |
13 | (d) The director of the department of labor and training, with the assistance of the office of |
14 | post-secondary education, shall establish communities of practice with respect to each of the factors |
15 | set forth herein. |
16 | 42-6.3-6. Rules and regulation. |
17 | The director of the department of labor and training shall promulgate rules and regulations |
18 | to implement the provisions of this chapter. |
19 | 42-6.3-7. Reports. |
20 | The director of the department of labor and training shall report annually to the general |
21 | assembly and the governor no later than December 31 of each year on the status and progress of |
22 | the program established and administered pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. |
23 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC004692 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE RHODE ISLAND | |
CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN PROTECTION YOUTH EDUCATION AND | |
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT | |
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1 | This act would establish the Rhode Island Climate Change and Ocean Protection Youth |
2 | Education and Workforce Development Act. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, there would |
3 | be appropriated two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) to implement a grant program |
4 | administered by the department of labor and training to promote climate change and ocean |
5 | protection educational opportunities for youth ages five (5) through eighteen (18). Additional |
6 | annual appropriations would be authorized by the general assembly. |
7 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC004692 | |
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