HF 626

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to environmental education; implementing 
  1.3             environmental education; establishing the 
  1.4             environmental education council; transferring duties 
  1.5             to the office of strategic and long-range planning; 
  1.6             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.7             sections 126A.01; 126A.02; 126A.04; 126A.07; 126A.08; 
  1.8             and 126A.12; Laws 1993, chapter 224, article 12, 
  1.9             section 32. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 126A.01, is 
  1.12  amended to read: 
  1.13     126A.01 [ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GOALS AND PLAN.] 
  1.14     Subdivision 1.  [GOALS.] The environmental education 
  1.15  program described in this chapter has these goals for the pupils 
  1.16  and other citizens of this state: 
  1.17     (a) Pupils and citizens should be able to apply informed 
  1.18  decision-making processes to maintain a sustainable lifestyle.  
  1.19  In order to do so, citizens should: 
  1.20     (1) to understand ecological systems; 
  1.21     (2) to understand the cause and effect relationship between 
  1.22  human attitudes and behavior and the environment; 
  1.23     (3) to be able to analyze, develop, and use problem-solving 
  1.24  skills to understand the decision-making process of individuals, 
  1.25  institutions, and nations regarding environmental issues; 
  1.26     (4) to be able to evaluate alternative responses to 
  1.27  environmental issues before deciding on alternative courses of 
  2.1   action; and 
  2.2      (5) (4) to understand the potential complementary nature 
  2.3   effects of multiple uses of the environment;. 
  2.4      (6) to provide experiences to assist citizens to increase 
  2.5   their sensitivity and stewardship for the environment; and 
  2.6      (7) to provide the (b) Pupils and citizens shall have 
  2.7   access to information citizens need and experiences needed to 
  2.8   make informed decisions about actions to take on environmental 
  2.9   issues. 
  2.10     (c) For purposes of this chapter, "state plan" means 
  2.11  "Greenprint for Minnesota:  A State Plan for Environmental 
  2.12  Education." 
  2.13     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 126A.02, is 
  2.14  amended to read: 
  2.15     126A.02 [OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION COUNCIL.] 
  2.16     Subd. 2.  [BOARD COUNCIL MEMBERS.] A 17-member 19-member 
  2.17  council of the environmental quality board shall advise the 
  2.18  director be created.  The board council is made up of the 
  2.19  commissioners of the department of natural resources; the 
  2.20  pollution control agency; the department of agriculture; the 
  2.21  department of education; the department of health; the director 
  2.22  of the office of strategic and long-range planning; the director 
  2.23  of the office of environmental assistance; the chair of the 
  2.24  board of water and soil resources; the executive director of the 
  2.25  higher education coordinating board; the executive secretary of 
  2.26  the board of teaching; the director of the extension service; 
  2.27  and eight citizen members representing diverse interests 
  2.28  appointed by the governor.  The governor shall appoint one 
  2.29  citizen member from each congressional district.  The citizen 
  2.30  members are subject to section 15.0575.  Two of the citizen 
  2.31  members appointed by the governor must be licensed teachers 
  2.32  currently teaching in the K-12 system.  The governor shall 
  2.33  annually designate a member to serve as chair for the next year. 
  2.34     Subd. 3.  [COUNCIL DUTIES.] The council shall facilitate 
  2.35  the implementation of the "Greenprint for Minnesota:  A State 
  2.36  Plan for Environmental Education"; may initiate, develop, 
  3.1   implement, evaluate, and market environmental education programs 
  3.2   consistent with the state plan; and shall promote state 
  3.3   government and private sector policy that is consistent with the 
  3.4   state plan. 
  3.5      Subd. 4.  [TRANSFER.] Citizen members serving on the 
  3.6   Minnesota environmental education advisory board shall be 
  3.7   transferred to the environmental quality board environmental 
  3.8   education council to serve out their terms. 
  3.9      Subd. 5.  [STAFF.] (a) The staff and consultant support for 
  3.10  the council shall be provided by the office of strategic and 
  3.11  long-range planning.  This support shall be provided based upon 
  3.12  an annual budget and work program developed by the council and 
  3.13  certified to the director of the office. 
  3.14     (b) Classified and unclassified state employees involved in 
  3.15  the implementation and administration of the duties of the 
  3.16  environmental education advisory board shall be transferred to 
  3.17  the office of strategic and long-range planning in the 
  3.18  classified service of the state without competitive examination 
  3.19  and shall be placed in the proper classification by the 
  3.20  commissioner of employee relations with compensation as provided 
  3.21  for the classifications.  Nothing in this paragraph shall be 
  3.22  construed as abrogating or modifying any rights now enjoyed by 
  3.23  affected employees under the commissioner's or managerial plans 
  3.24  for unrepresented employees or the terms of an agreement between 
  3.25  the exclusive representatives of public employees and the state 
  3.26  or one of its appointing authorities. 
  3.27     (c) The office of strategic and long-range planning shall 
  3.28  provide office space and administrative and fiscal support for 
  3.29  the council and the staff as necessary to carry out the 
  3.30  environmental quality board and the environmental education 
  3.31  council responsibilities as prescribed in sections 126A.01 to 
  3.32  126A.12.  The authorized budget of the environmental education 
  3.33  advisory board is transferred to the office of strategic and 
  3.34  long-range planning to support the activities of the 
  3.35  environmental education council. 
  3.36     (d) The staff shall initiate, develop, implement, evaluate, 
  4.1   and market environmental education programs consistent with the 
  4.2   state plan; shall promote state government and private sector 
  4.3   policy that is consistent with the state plan as directed by the 
  4.4   council; and shall support the activities of the environmental 
  4.5   education council. 
  4.6      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 126A.04, is 
  4.7   amended to read: 
  4.8      126A.04 [POWERS AND DUTIES.] 
  4.9      Subdivision 1.  [PLANNING.] The director may develop a plan 
  4.10  and establish a continuing planning process to achieve the goals 
  4.11  for environmental education.  The director may integrate the 
  4.12  environmental education plans, strategies, and policies 
  4.13  developed by the department of education and post-secondary 
  4.14  institutions when developing their planning process and plan.  
  4.15     Subd. 2.  [LEGISLATION.] The director council may review 
  4.16  proposed legislation and funding requests relating to informal 
  4.17  environmental education for ensure consistency with the state 
  4.18  plan.  The director shall council may also develop with the 
  4.19  department of education and post-secondary institutions a 
  4.20  process for coordinating the development of K-12 and 
  4.21  post-secondary environmental education legislation and funding 
  4.22  requests with the state plan.  
  4.23     Subd. 3.  [ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE.] The 
  4.24  director council may conduct an environmental education 
  4.25  conference every other year to bring together the environmental 
  4.26  education community to identify future issues, ascertain needs, 
  4.27  and set priorities and goals.  The results of the conference may 
  4.28  be used in revising the state plan.  
  4.29     Subd. 4.  [ADVISORY COMMITTEES.] The director shall council 
  4.30  may establish advisory committees and a process to receive input 
  4.31  from committees and others on K-12, post-secondary, and informal 
  4.32  environmental education programs and needs, priority issues, and 
  4.33  target audiences. 
  4.34     Subd. 5.  [GRANTS.] The director office of strategic and 
  4.35  long-range planning may apply for, receive, and allocate grants 
  4.36  and other money for environmental education to support the 
  5.1   activities of the council.  The office of strategic and 
  5.2   long-range planning has the right to retain funds collected from 
  5.3   conference receipts to support the activities of the 
  5.4   environmental education council.  The director shall continue to 
  5.5   make a grant to an environmental library located in the 
  5.6   metropolitan area. 
  5.7      Subd. 6.  [COMMUNICATION.] The council may establish and 
  5.8   maintain methods of communication between environmental 
  5.9   education producers, distributors, and consumers to encourage 
  5.10  effective and timely programs. 
  5.11     Subd. 7.  [TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.] The council may provide 
  5.12  technical assistance to agencies and organizations for effective 
  5.13  design and marketing of environmental education programs and for 
  5.14  the writing of environmental education components in legislative 
  5.15  materials. 
  5.16     Subd. 8.  [MARKETING AND PUBLICITY.] The council may 
  5.17  provide marketing and publicity for environmental education 
  5.18  programs of other agencies and organizations within the 
  5.19  priorities developed in the state plan. 
  5.20     Subd. 9.  [COOPERATION AND SUPPORT.] The council shall 
  5.21  cooperate with and support the environmental education programs 
  5.22  developed by the environmental quality board that are consistent 
  5.23  with the state plan. 
  5.24     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 126A.07, is 
  5.25  amended to read: 
  5.26     126A.07 [RELATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.] 
  5.27     Subdivision 1.  [COOPERATION AND SUPPORT.] The director 
  5.28  council shall cooperate with and support the environmental 
  5.29  education program developed by the state board of education and 
  5.30  the commissioner of education. 
  5.31     Subd. 2.  [LIST.] The cooperation and support must include, 
  5.32  but is not limited to, the items mentioned in the list in this 
  5.33  subdivision. 
  5.34     (a) The director council shall encourage all environmental 
  5.35  education programs developed for pupils and other citizens to 
  5.36  strive for achievement of the goals and the environmental 
  6.1   learner, outcomes, elements, and standards developed by the 
  6.2   department of education for the graduation rule consistent with 
  6.3   the state plan. 
  6.4      (b) The regional resource centers shall collect, house, 
  6.5   promote, and circulate environmental education materials, 
  6.6   displays, audio-visual aids, and computer materials for use by 
  6.7   the educational cooperative service unit environmental education 
  6.8   coordinators. 
  6.9      (c) The environmental education resource centers shall 
  6.10  evaluate, promote, and distribute to educators materials 
  6.11  produced by other agencies and organizations. 
  6.12     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 126A.08, is 
  6.13  amended to read: 
  6.14     126A.08 [PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED; IMPLEMENTED; IN-SERVICE.] 
  6.15     (a) The department of education shall assist in 
  6.16  establishing environmental education programs in all public 
  6.17  elementary and secondary schools. 
  6.18     (b) The, and environmental education program must be 
  6.19  interdisciplinary, integrated by the schools into the curriculum
  6.20  , and outcome-based. 
  6.21     (c) (b) The program Environmental education must be 
  6.22  implemented through the department of education's learner 
  6.23  outcome, assessment and feedback, and instructional 
  6.24  processes graduation rule and the state plan. 
  6.25     (d) (c) The department of education shall assist school 
  6.26  districts, education districts, environmental learning centers, 
  6.27  post-secondary institutions, and other education organizations 
  6.28  to develop environmental education policies that maximize the 
  6.29  environmental education in-service teacher training in 
  6.30  educational cooperative service unit regional offices. 
  6.31     Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 126A.12, is 
  6.32  amended to read: 
  6.33     126A.12 [REPORTING.] 
  6.34     (a) Beginning June 30, 1992 1996, the department of 
  6.35  education shall submit a biennial report on its the 
  6.36  implementation of environmental education program components of 
  7.1   the graduation rule to the legislature and education and natural 
  7.2   resource policy committees of the house and senate, the 
  7.3   governor, and the environmental education council.  
  7.4      (b) The report must: 
  7.5      (1) describe the progress of environmental education 
  7.6   learner outcome concept framework development and implementation 
  7.7   assessment in the public elementary and secondary schools; 
  7.8      (2) describe in-service involvement and assistance at the 
  7.9   state and local level; and 
  7.10     (3) evaluate the efforts of the research and development 
  7.11  sites to implement integrated environmental learner 
  7.12  outcome-based education; and 
  7.13     (4) contain an implementation plan to assist school 
  7.14  districts in the establishment of an environmental education 
  7.15  program in all public elementary and secondary schools in 
  7.16  accordance with the graduation rule and state plan. 
  7.17     (c) Beginning June 30, 1996, the environmental education 
  7.18  council shall submit a biennial report on progress towards 
  7.19  implementation of the state plan to the governor and education 
  7.20  and natural resource policy committees of the house and senate. 
  7.21     Sec. 7.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  7.22     $240,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  7.23  department of education in the 1996-1997 biennium for transfer 
  7.24  to the office of strategic and long-range planning for 
  7.25  environmental education purposes in support of the council as 
  7.26  provided in this act. 
  7.27     Sec. 8.  Laws 1993, chapter 224, article 12, section 32, is 
  7.28  amended to read: 
  7.29     Sec. 32.  [REPEALER.] 
  7.30     (a) Minnesota Statutes 1992, sections 120.095; 120.101, 
  7.31  subdivision 5a; 120.75, subdivision 2; 120.80, subdivision 2; 
  7.32  121.11, subdivisions 6 and 13; 121.165; 121.19; 121.49; 121.883; 
  7.33  121.90; 121.901; 121.902; 121.904, subdivisions 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 
  7.34  11a, and 11c; 121.908, subdivision 4; 121.9121, subdivisions 3 
  7.35  and 5; 121.931, subdivisions 6, 6a, 7, and 8; 121.934; 121.936 
  7.36  subdivisions 1, 2, and 3; 121.937; 121.94; 121.941; 121.942; 
  8.1   121.943; 123.33, subdivisions 10, 14, 15, and 16; 123.35, 
  8.2   subdivision 14; 123.352; 123.36, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 4a, 6, 8, 
  8.3   9, and 12; 123.40, subdivisions 4 and 6; 123.61; 123.67; 
  8.4   123.709; 123.744; 124.615; 124.62; 124.64; 124.645; 124.67; 
  8.5   124.68; 124.69; 124.79; 125.12, subdivisions 3a and 4a; 125.17, 
  8.6   subdivisions 2a and 3a; 126.09; 126.111; 126.112; 126.20, 
  8.7   subdivision 4; 126.24; and 126.268, are repealed. 
  8.8      (b) Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 121.11, subdivision 
  8.9   15, is repealed. 
  8.10     (c) Minnesota Statutes 1992, sections 120.101, subdivision 
  8.11  5b; 121.11, subdivision 16; 121.585, subdivision 3; 124.19, 
  8.12  subdivisions 1, 1b, 6, and 7; 126.02; 126.025; 126.031; 126.06; 
  8.13  126.08; 126.12, subdivision 2; 126.662; 126.663; 126.664; 
  8.14  126.665; 126.666; 126.67; 126.68; 126A.01; 126A.02; 126A.04; 
  8.15  126A.05; 126A.07; 126A.08; and 126A.09; 126A.10; 126A.11; and 
  8.16  126A.12, are repealed.