By: Jackson S.B. No. 1746
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the creation and administration of the Texas
1-2 Environmental Education Partnership Fund and the Texas
1-3 Environmental Education Partnership trust fund.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
1-6 (1) "Board" means the board of directors of the TEEP
1-7 Fund.
1-8 (2) "Participating partner" means an entity designated
1-9 as a participating partner under Section 4 of this Act.
1-10 (3) "TEEP Fund" means the Texas Environmental
1-11 Education Partnership Fund established under Section 2 of this Act.
1-12 (4) "TEEP trust fund" means the Texas Environmental
1-13 Education Partnership trust fund established under Section 6 of
1-14 this Act.
1-15 SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TEXAS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
1-16 PARTNERSHIP FUND. The Texas Environmental Education Partnership
1-17 Fund is established and shall operate as a public/private nonprofit
1-18 education partnership.
1-19 SECTION 3. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas Environmental
1-20 Education Partnership Fund is to:
1-21 (1) raise money from a diversity of resources to pay
1-22 for the development, implementation, and continued operation of
1-23 environmental education projects, activities, and programs proposed
1-24 by a participating partner, including:
2-1 (A) scholarships for educators (formal and
2-2 informal) for professional development in the area of environmental
2-3 education;
2-4 (B) environmental education projects,
2-5 activities, or programs approved by the board;
2-6 (C) support of efforts to ensure that textbooks
2-7 treat environmental issues with a balanced approach and explain the
2-8 underlying scientific principles;
2-9 (D) ensuring system-wide assessment of essential
2-10 knowledge and skills identified by the State Board of Education as
2-11 required by Subsections (c) and (d), Section 28.002, Education
2-12 Code, as related to environmental education; and
2-13 (E) environmental education materials;
2-14 (2) review for approval and funding environmental
2-15 education projects, activities, and programs proposed by a
2-16 participating partner; and
2-17 (3) establish a working relationship between the TEEP
2-18 Fund and state agencies with educational functions, such as the
2-19 Texas Education Agency.
2-20 SECTION 4. DESIGNATION OF PARTICIPATING PARTNER. (a) The
2-21 board shall designate one or more public/private partnership
2-22 entities as a participating partner to develop and propose
2-23 environmental education projects, activities, and programs to
2-24 receive assistance from the TEEP Fund.
2-25 (b) A participating partner must represent a broad spectrum
2-26 of public and private interests relating to scientifically based
3-1 and balanced environmental and educational concerns.
3-2 SECTION 5. TEEP FUND BOARD. (a) The board consists of not
3-3 more than 12 members appointed as follows:
3-4 (1) 10 members appointed by the governor to provide
3-5 balanced representation from the following groups:
3-6 (A) business and industry;
3-7 (B) agriculture;
3-8 (C) nongovernmental organizations;
3-9 (D) K-12 educators;
3-10 (E) university educators;
3-11 (F) local and state government;
3-12 (G) environmental education providers;
3-13 (H) environmental groups; and
3-14 (I) parents;
3-15 (2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor to
3-16 represent the senate; and
3-17 (3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house
3-18 of representatives to represent the house of representatives.
3-19 (b) The 10 members appointed by the governor shall be
3-20 culturally, ethnically, and geographically diverse.
3-21 (c) A board member is appointed for a renewable term of two
3-22 years expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year.
3-23 (d) A board member serves at the will of the appointing
3-24 official.
3-25 (e) A board member representing the senate or house of
3-26 representatives is a nonvoting member.
4-1 (f) A board member is not entitled to compensation but is
4-2 entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses
4-3 incurred in performing board duties.
4-4 (g) The board may accept donations, gifts, grants, or other
4-5 money made available to the TEEP Fund for the purposes of this Act.
4-6 The board shall deposit to the credit of the TEEP trust fund a
4-7 donation, gift, grant, or other money accepted by the board under
4-8 this subsection.
4-9 SECTION 6. TEEP TRUST FUND. (a) The Texas Environmental
4-10 Education Partnership trust fund is established as a trust fund
4-11 outside the treasury to be held by the Texas Treasury Safekeeping
4-12 Trust Company and administered by the board of the Texas
4-13 Environmental Education Partnership Fund for the benefit of:
4-14 (1) a participating partner; or
4-15 (2) environmental education projects, activities, and
4-16 programs proposed by a participating partner and approved by the
4-17 board.
4-18 (b) Money in the fund may be used only to:
4-19 (1) award grants or money for environmental education
4-20 projects, activities, and programs proposed by a participating
4-21 partner and approved by the board; and
4-22 (2) reimburse board members for actual expenses
4-23 incurred in performing board duties as authorized by Subsection (f)
4-24 of Section 5 of this Act.
4-25 (c) The trust fund consists of donations, gifts, grants, or
4-26 other money made available to the TEEP Fund for the purposes of
5-1 this Act.
5-2 SECTION 7. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. (a) The board shall adopt
5-3 and publish eligibility criteria to be considered in making a grant
5-4 or award of money from the trust fund.
5-5 (b) The criteria adopted by the board shall:
5-6 (1) include consideration of whether a proposed
5-7 project, activity, or program will:
5-8 (A) improve the quality of environmental
5-9 education in the state;
5-10 (B) identify, use, or increase resources for
5-11 environmental education; and
5-12 (C) be adaptable to and represent the diverse
5-13 environmental aspects of the state; and
5-14 (2) give primary consideration to projects,
5-15 activities, and programs that:
5-16 (A) promote balanced views based on sound
5-17 science;
5-18 (B) include instruction on or exercises in
5-19 critical thinking; and
5-20 (C) promote the protection of environmental
5-21 resources.
5-22 SECTION 8. SUNSET PROVISION. The TEEP Fund is subject to
5-23 Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued
5-24 in existence as provided by that chapter, the TEEP Fund expires
5-25 September 1, 2009.
5-26 SECTION 9. APPOINTMENT OF BOARD. (a) As soon as
6-1 practicable after the effective date of this Act, the governor, the
6-2 lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
6-3 representatives shall appoint members to the board as provided by
6-4 Subsection (a) of Section 5 of this Act.
6-5 (b) The initial members of the board are appointed for terms
6-6 expiring February 1, 2001.
6-7 SECTION 10. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation
6-8 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
6-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
6-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
6-13 passage, and it is so enacted.