101-619 ) to renew the federal role in environmental education and reestablish an office of environmental education within EPA. P.L. Since the beginning of the program in FY1992, EPA has awarded grants for environmental education projects in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories for educating elementary and secondary school students, training teachers, purchasing textbooks, developing curricula, and other educational activities. Appropriations

The original funding authorization for EPA's environmental education program expired at the end of FY1996. Congress has continued to fund the program since then through the annual appropriations process without enacting reauthorizing legislation. Congress returned funding to previous levels in FY2008, appropriating $8.9 million. Although funding for the program has continued, the President has proposed to eliminate its funding in his annual budget requests each year since FY2003, including his FY2009 budget request. In response, Congress has continued the program's funding each year. As introduced on August 2, 2007, the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 ( S. 1981 ) would expand the federal role in environmental education by creating an Office of Environmental Education within the Department of Education to administer new grant programs intended to supplement EPA's existing program. In addition to creating a new role for the Department of Education, H.R. 3036 would further amend the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 to reauthorize funding for EPA's existing program in FY2009 and to require the integration of certain activities into EPA's teacher training program, such as "scientifically valid" research (as defined in the bill), technology-based teaching, interdisciplinary instruction, and outdoor learning. H.R. Two other bills in the 110 th Congress would address environmental education within the more specific contexts of environmental justice and climate change.
The federal role in environmental education has been an ongoing issue. For nearly two decades, EPA has been the primary federal agency responsible for providing financial assistance to schools to support environmental education. The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 ( P.L. 101-619 ) established a program within EPA to award grants for educating elementary and secondary school students and training teachers in environmental subjects, and to fund other related activities. The President has proposed to eliminate this program in his annual budget requests each year since FY2003, and did not include any funding for the program in his FY2009 budget request. In response to strong interest at the state and local level, Congress has continued to fund the program each year, appropriating $8.9 million for FY2008. Although Congress has continued to fund the program through the appropriations process, the original funding authorization in the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 expired at the end of FY1996. As passed by the House, H.R. 3036 would reauthorize funding for EPA's environmental education program in FY2009, require the integration of certain elements into the agency's teacher training program, and expand the federal role in environmental education by authorizing a new grant program within the Department of Education. As introduced, S. 1981 also would create a new role for the Department of Education in supporting environmental education, but would not reauthorize funding for EPA's existing program nor amend any aspects of it. As introduced, H.R. 5902 and H.R. 6316 would address environmental education in the more specific contexts of environmental justice and climate change, respectively.