To look up bills in the California legislature (Senate or Assembly), use the legislation search tool at http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm.
NEW: SB 1649: Youth Programs: Outdoor Education This California Senate Bill is about getting more funding to get students to outdoor schools!
According to the author's office, too few children have a access to parks, rivers, and forests, and suffer from "Nature Deficit Disorder" as coined by Richard Louv in Last Child in the Woods. According to the Sierra Club, less than 15 percent of California students are participating in outdoor environmental education programs. The author intends for SB 1649 to address the need make outdoor education opportunities more widely available.
UPDATE, December 2006: Education and the Environment Initiative Update
California’s Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) is a landmark law concerning education about the environment in CA’s public schools. CREEC Coordinators throughout the state have been busy meeting with School Districts and selecting the 20 districts that will be field and pilot testing the EEI Model Curriculum. Field testing is slated to begin in February 2007, with pilot testing occurring during the 2007-2008 school year. By the fall of 2008, the curriculum should be ready to take to the State Board of Education for approval to use throughout CA. CREEC Coordinators will provide direct support to the teachers in the school districts selected for field and pilot testing.
The Model Curriculum will be an interdisciplinary program that teaches the CA State Standards to mastery, providing an alternate strategy to teach the standards using the environment as an integrating context for learning. EEI has a contract with the National Geographic Society, NOAA, and ESRI for pictures, maps, graphs and other graphic components to enhance the curriculum. Currently there are nine writers for the 4-6th grade curriculum package and 10 writers for the K-3rd grade package. The EEI team is hiring writers for the High school curriculum this month. If you’d like more information on EEI you can visit the district toolkit website at: www.seer.org/EEI/toolkit/EEI_District_Toolkit.html
Education and the Environment Initiative (formerly AB 1548) Updates to AB 1548: 2005-06 AB 1721 makes some technical changes to the bill.
UPDATE, March 2006: Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) professional development workshops - Cal/EPA and the CIWMB invite you to attend one of six regional professional development workshops across the state followed by two rounds of technical assistance workshops in those same regions.
Provide Input! A variety of opportunities exist to provide input and comment on key elements of the Education and the Environment Initiative. Find out about how this initiative can affect you and participate in the Discussion Forum. The Education and the Environment Initiative [Pavley, Chapter 665, Statutes of 2003 — AB1548] is seeking comments from stakeholders on draft materials. Here are the Draft Environmental Principles and Concepts for review. To receive regular updates on the implementation of Education and the Environment Initiative including opportunities to participate in on-line discussion and other forums, please subscribe to the initiative's listserv. Participation opportunities will also be publicized on the Getting Involved page. The most current version of the Environmental Principles and Concepts is posted at http://www.calepa.ca.gov/forums/ Anyone who is interested can register for the discussion forum and then make comments on the draft document through November 30.
UPCOMING FIELD REVIEWS Find one near you!
Effects
of Outdoor Education Programs on Children in California 
The
American Institutes of Research, a prominent evaluation research center,
is conducting an evaluation study of how California Outdoor Schools
impact students' stewardship of the environment, personal and social skills,
as well as learning outcomes, especially in science. Of particular interest
is their "delayed treatment" design, which provides some attributes
of an experimental design. The final report is due in January 2005. Funding
for the study was made possible through advocacy efforts by the Sierra
Club. This is the result of AB
1330.
RESULTS of study are on the AEOE Research in Environmental Education Pages
8/2004: New California Education Laws and the Governor: SB 1380 and AB 2744: Two bills, SB 1380 (Escutia) and AB 2744 (Goldberg) have been passed out of both houses of the legislature and are on their way to the Governor's desk for signature. SB 1380 will offer an alternative to the current materials adoption process and has the potential to make the purchase of instructional materials easier. AB 2744 provides for the periodic review and revision, by panels of teachers, of the content standards. The bills transfer some powers and responsibilities from the State Board of Education to local districts and subject matter panels. Science educators should take a look at these bills and express their opinions to the Governor. He has to decide whether to sign these bills or veto them.
These two bills will cause some significant changes to the current system of standards and textbook adoption. In brief, if you think there are flaws in the current system and that these bills help solve these problems, you may want to write the governor and tell him why you want him to sign one or both of these bills. On the other hand, if you favor the current system of standards and textbook adoption or think these bills will cause problems, you may want to write the governor and ask him to veto one or both of these bills. He is making the decision now, so you need to write soon. More information
AB 1330, Simitian. Outdoor Environmental Education Program. This bill would establish the Outdoor Environmental Education Program, the purpose of which is to foster stewardship of the environment and an appreciation of the importance of the wise use of natural resources.
AB 1548, Pavley. Office of Education on
the Environment. Existing law establishes the Office of Integrated
Environmental Education within the Integrated Waste Management Board, and
requires the office to develop and implement a unified education strategy
on the environment for elementary and secondary schools. This bill would
repeal those provisions and, instead, establish the Office of Education
and the Environment with similar duties. A CalEPA
site has been set up to track this bill. Call
to Action!
AB 907: Environmental Education Content Standards Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards and performance standards in the core curriculum areas of reading, writing, mathematics, history/social science, and science. This bill would have required the State Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction to revise the academic content standards for history/social science, and science to incorporate specific environmental education content, as provided. The bill would provide that the environmental education content is not required to be included within the assessments conducted pursuant to the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program (STAR) until the next revision of the assessment materials are required pursuant to other law .Status: to check, enter bill number (In committee as of 5/28/03) This bill died in committee on 2/2/2004.
SB 373: School Diversion and Environmental Education Law (DEEL) In September 2001, the Governor signed into law the School Diversion and Environmental Education Law (DEEL), formerly referred to as Senate Bill 373 (Torlakson, Chapter 926, Statutes of 2001), which creates many more program mandates for the Board's Office of Integrated Environmental Education and Office of Local Assistance. These mandates will help us to further our mission of assisting K-12 schools establish an integrated systems model where academics, administration, and facilities work collaboratively to incorporate resource conservation and sustainability into their organizational philosophy, planning, and implementation.
AB2553: This bill would have required the State Department of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Conservation, to establish a program to award grants and provide incentives to school districts and county offices of education to implement source reduction and recycling programs. It would have had $3M in funding. Vetoed by Governor in September of 2000
AB1791: This bill would have authorized school districts and county offices of education to provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to trained personnel, and authorizes trained personnel to use epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid to any person suffering from an anaphylactic reaction. Vetoed by Governor in September 2000
SB360: Would have extended benefits to all classified school employees (includes some naturalists at outdoor schools and many classrooom aides) working at least 130 days per year. Vetoed by Governor in September 2000
AB1498: A temporary aid to students attending outdoor schools in 1999 - funding for students on free and reduced lunches. Signed by Governer Gray Davis
California Wage Orders affecting environmental educators, January 2001
To look up bills of interest to environmental educators, go to the California Legislative Inquiry website and enter keywords such as "environmental education" or others. You can subscribe to updates on bills of interest at that website as well.
The California Teachers Association (CTA) has information and positions on legislation at http://www.cta.org/PoliticsandLegislation/PALcurrent.htm. AEOE does not necessarily endorse CTA or their positions on legislation.
The Bush Administration's "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act has had many effects on education, including what subjects are taught and how, which has had a negative impact on outdoor science and environmental education. Information and Articles below:
John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act of 2000 (HR 4745 / S 1946): A bill to amend the National Environmental Education Act to redesignate that Act as the "John H. Chafee Environmental Education Act", to establish the John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program, to extend the programs under that Act, and for other purposes. Passed Senate, in House Committee as of 28Aug2000. To view info on the bill, go to Thomas Legislative Information on the Internet and type either bill number for the 106th congress. Summary
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT FY2001 APPROPRIATIONS BILL (P.L. 106-291)
On October 11th, President Clinton signed into Law the Interior Department Appropriations bill (P.L. 106-291). The bill includes the allocation of $686 million for the acquisition, conservation, and maintenance of Federal and non-Federal lands and resources, and authorizes additional spending that could total $12 billion over the next five years. This bill replaces the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2000 (CARA). Final Congressional Votes: Senate 83 to 13; House 348 to 69. This bill became Public Law No: 106-291 on 10/11/2000.
For more information:
Interior Department FY2001 Appropriations bill (P.L. 106-291)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:HR04578:@@@L&summ2=m&
HR 701 Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA)
passes House - HR701: To provide Outer Continental
Shelf Impact Assistance to State and local governments, to amend the Land
and Water Conservation
Fund Act of 1965, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978, and
the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly referred to as the
Pittman-Robertson Act) to establish a fund to meet the outdoor conservation
and recreation needs of the American people, and for other purposes.
106th-107th Congress - this bill is still in committee
To view current info on the bill, go to Thomas
Legislative Information on the Internet and type the bill number for the
106th or 107th congress.
