Sec. 2. Green Ribbon Schools Program
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In this section: The terms elementary school , local educational agency , secondary school , Secretary , and State educational agency have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 ). The term eligible entity means an elementary school, secondary school, school funded or operated by the Bureau of Indian Education, local educational agency, or institution of higher education. The term environmentally literate , when used with respect to an individual, means the capacity to— perceive and interpret the relative health of environmental systems and the interrelationships between natural, economic, and social systems and technology; and assess options and take appropriate action to maintain, restore, or improve the health of the environmental systems and promote sustainable development.
The term Green Ribbon pillars means the following 3 interrelated aspirational goals: 100 percent of the graduates of the eligible entity or the schools served by the eligible entity are environmentally literate. The environmental impacts of the eligible entity’s buildings, grounds, and operations are targeting significant emission reductions with a long-term goal of 100 percent reduction. The eligible entity has a net positive impact on the environmental health of its students and staff.
The term Green Ribbon School award winner means an eligible entity that has received an award of recognition from the Department of Education for high performance in making progress toward all 3 of the Green Ribbon pillars, in accordance with subsection (b)(4). 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 ). The Secretary shall conduct a program, which shall be known as the Green Ribbon Schools Program , to reach and engage more schools by— encouraging eligible entities to implement the Green Ribbon pillars; recognizing high performance in the Green Ribbon pillars by eligible entities, through voluntary partnership with States; increasing the number of participating local educational agencies and schools that are receiving resources from the program, including those not pursuing an award on the date of enactment of this Act; engaging with public and private stakeholders to maximize positive impact; and supporting schools in implementing measures to reduce energy and water use and costs, increase resilience, increase environmental literacy, and improve indoor air and other conditions for health and wellness.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a review and update the criteria for the Green Ribbon school award winner program, including scoring, which shall include— ensuring that health and wellness criteria align with programs of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are associated with benefitting student health, thinking, and the ability to learn; ensuring that environmental criteria emphasize the role of schools in mitigating and adapting to climate change, including school resiliency to natural disasters; and ensuring that environmental and sustainability literacy criteria encourage applicants to identify methods of assessment of student knowledge and skills and set goals for literacy among graduates.
The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register the final updated criteria for the Green Ribbon school award winner program and shall allow for, and address, any public comments related to the updated criteria. In conducting the Green Ribbon Schools Program, the Secretary shall, from the amounts made available to carry out this Act— reserve not less than $250,000 for the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the activities under subsection (c)(7) with respect to schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education; award grants to State educational agencies under subsection (c); and provide an honorarium to each Green Ribbon School award winner in an amount equal to $10,000, subject to appropriations.
The Secretary may conduct studies, research, and surveys to inform the Green Ribbon Schools Program. Each year, regardless of whether funds are available for the honoraria described in paragraph (2)(C), the Secretary shall— establish a process through which— State educational agencies may nominate eligible entities for recognition of high performance in making progress toward all 3 of the Green Ribbon pillars; and the Secretary of the Interior, operating through the Bureau of Indian Education, may nominate eligible entities that are schools operated or funded by the Bureau for such recognition; and award the Green Ribbon School award to nominated eligible entities that the Secretary determines have shown high performance in making progress toward all 3 of the Green Ribbon pillars.
The Secretary shall consult with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to align the Green Ribbon Schools Program with the science on school environments and school health cited by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not later than November 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a report describing the Green Ribbon Schools Program of the prior fiscal year.
Each annual report described in clause
(i)shall— describe the activities and outcomes of the Department of Education and State grant award winners, including the uses of grant funds to reach and engage additional schools, and the successes and challenges of the Green Ribbon Schools Program; describe the plan of State grant award winners to extend opportunities to become a Green Ribbon School award winner to schools that are eligible to receive funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq. ) or other schools that are low-income schools, schools in disadvantaged or rural or remote communities, or schools that serve a significant number of students with disabilities; and provide a proposed plan for the following year. Not later than November 1, 2024, and biannually thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a report describing key programs and policies of each State in supporting its schools in making progress toward all 3 of the Green Ribbon pillars. The Secretary shall award grants to State educational agencies, on a competitive basis, for the purpose of supporting and engaging eligible entities as green schools. A State educational agency that desires to receive a grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require, including an assurance that the agency will— expend not less than 40 percent of the grant funds to support underresourced schools; and provide documentation to the Secretary demonstrating compliance with the requirement under subparagraph (A). In selecting grant recipients under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider the State educational agency’s proposed program or program expansion in terms of— the projected impact and proposed impact metrics; the incorporation of specific activities to ensure underresourced eligible entities benefit and have opportunities to participate; the extent to which stakeholders and partnerships are included; innovative approaches to scaling green school practices and learning; the engagement of past award winners in the program, including as mentors or advisors to other eligible entities; and other criteria as may be identified by the Secretary. In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary may determine the amount of each grant award, except that no grant award shall be for an amount that is less than $250,000 nor more than $1,000,000. Grant funds awarded under this subsection shall be available for use by the grant awardee for not more than 3 years. A State educational agency that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to increase and support eligible entities in becoming Green Ribbon School award winners, including by— establishing State-level Green Ribbon awards and recognition events; working in partnership with nonprofit green school organizations and other organizations, utilities, businesses, and other State and local governmental entities to inform, educate, and support eligible entities regarding actions to make progress toward all 3 of the Green Ribbon pillars; using resources from the Department of Education and its green schools partners, as appropriate, to curate and disseminate resources about best green school practices and provide statewide training and professional development in the Green Ribbon pillars; utilizing innovative ways to promote— the implementation of green school practices; and the Green Ribbon Schools Program and any State-level Green Ribbon schools program; and providing statewide training and professional development in the Green Ribbon pillars.
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