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.