Climate Change Education Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8406
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-21: 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.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-12T22:24:21Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Climate Change Education Act (H.R. 8406) aims to increase public understanding of climate change—its causes, effects, solutions, and related issues like adaptation (adjusting to climate impacts), mitigation (reducing emissions), resilience (ability to recover from impacts), and justice (fair treatment across communities)—by requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create a dedicated education program. It builds on NOAA's existing efforts to promote environmental literacy and empower individuals, especially students and educators, to take action.
Key Provisions
- Establishment of Program: NOAA must create a Climate Change Education Program within its Office of Education within 1 year of enactment. The program focuses on:
- Broadening climate literacy (knowledge of climate science, impacts, and solutions).
- Using NOAA's scientific resources for formal (school-based) and nonformal (out-of-school) learning for all ages and backgrounds.
- Promoting practical info on jobs, technologies, and incentives in climate-related fields.
- Grants and Cooperative Agreements: NOAA awards funding to:
- State/local educational agencies for K-12 climate plans, teacher training, curriculum integration (e.g., STEM, civics), project-based learning, and career pathways in green jobs (jobs in sustainable energy/economy).
- Colleges/universities for community climate projects with student involvement.
- Professional groups for training in green economy fields.
- Youth corps for community climate work with education.
- Allocation: 50% to schools, 30% to colleges, 10% each to professionals/youth; 40% of college/youth funds to environmental justice communities (areas with higher risks for low-income, communities of color, or Tribal groups).
- Minimum funding thresholds and $1M minimum grants for schools if total exceeds $5M.
- Communities of Practice: Groups to share best practices among recipients.
- Reporting: Annual reports to Congress on program effectiveness starting 2 years after enactment.
- Funding: $50 million authorized annually for fiscal years 2027–2032.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands NOAA's Environmental Literacy Program (established 2005) to prioritize climate education, addressing low funding (e.g., <5% of 2020 applications funded) and teacher knowledge gaps.
- Builds on the America COMPETES Act (2007), which already requires NOAA to support education, but adds specific climate focus, grants, and justice priorities not previously mandated.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: NOAA gains new responsibilities, budget, and reporting duties; collaborates more with education departments.
- Citizens: Improves climate education for ~3.5M annual high school/college graduates, teachers (where only 30–45% grasp consensus), and communities, potentially boosting energy efficiency, renewable adoption, and green jobs.
- No direct international relations impact, though it leverages U.S. climate science for domestic education.
Main Stakeholders
- NOAA (leads program).
- Educators and Schools: State/local agencies, teachers (training/curriculum).
- Students and Youth: K-12/college students, youth corps participants.
- Higher Education: Universities for research/community projects.
- Communities: Environmental justice groups (40% funding priority), nonprofits, professional associations.
- Labor/Industry: Partnerships for green job training.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Creates enforceable mandates with timelines, funding authorizations (not automatic appropriations), and equity requirements; ties to existing NOAA authority.
- Constitutional: Federal funding for state/local education is routine (e.g., via grants), respecting state education control while advancing national science goals.
- Political: Affirms human-induced climate change in findings, supports public consensus on teaching it (per polls), but may spark debate over federal role in curriculum and "climate justice" definitions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-21: 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.
- 2026-04-21: 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.
- 2026-04-21: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-21: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Climate Change Education Act — issued 2026-04-21 — PDF (15 pages)