SB-0744, As Passed Senate, November 5, 2003
SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 744
A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled
"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"
by amending section 2505 (MCL 324.2505), as added by 1995 PA 60,
and by adding section 2505a.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 2505. (1) The environmental education fund is created
2 within the state treasury.
3 (2) The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the
4 fund. The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from
5 any source for deposit into the fund. Interest and earnings from
6 fund investments shall be credited to the fund.
7 (3) Twenty-five percent of the civil fines collected annually
8 under the following parts or their predecessor acts, but not more
9 than $150,000.00 in any fiscal year, shall be appropriated to the
10 fund:
1 (a) Part 31.
2 (b) Part 111.
3 (c) Part 115.
4 (4) Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall
5 remain in the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund.
6 (5) Money in the fund
shall be used to for the following
7 purposes:
8 (a) For state fiscal years ending September 30, 2004,
9 September 30, 2005, and September 30, 2006, $50,000.00 per year
10 for the T.E.A.C.H. award grant program created in section 2505a.
11 (b) To implement this
part, and may be used for including
12 the establishment and operation of a clearinghouse of
13 environmental education materials, which would make environmental
14 education materials available to educators throughout the state.
15 Sec. 2505a. (1) The coordinator shall establish a teacher
16 environmental and conservation honors award, which may be
17 referred to as the T.E.A.C.H. award. The T.E.A.C.H. award shall
18 be given to eligible teachers in the state who demonstrate
19 teaching excellence in the field of environmental education.
20 (2) A T.E.A.C.H. award recipient under subsection (1) is also
21 eligible for a grant to implement a specific environmental
22 education project administered by the T.E.A.C.H. award
23 recipient.
24 (3) The coordinator shall annually administer the
25 T.E.A.C.H. award program under subsection (1) and the
26 corresponding grant program under subsection (2). Nominations
27 for T.E.A.C.H. awards shall be submitted to the coordinator in a
1 manner required by the coordinator and containing information
2 required by the coordinator. Any person may nominate a teacher
3 for a T.E.A.C.H award. An application for a corresponding grant
4 to a T.E.A.C.H. award recipient shall be submitted at the same
5 time as the nomination. A grant shall comply with all of the
6 following:
7 (a) The T.E.A.C.H. award nominee shall provide a specific
8 project proposal describing how the grant would be used.
9 (b) The maximum amount of each grant shall be $5,000.00.
10 However, a T.E.A.C.H award recipient is eligible to receive more
11 than 1 grant.
12 (c) The grant shall be for the implementation of an
13 environmental education project that focuses on providing a
14 learning experience for students to become better stewards of the
15 state's natural resources. Environmental education projects in
16 any of the following areas shall be considered for grants:
17 (i) Great Lakes or water quality.
18 (ii) Land conservation.
19 (iii) Air quality.
20 (4) From among the T.E.A.C.H. award recipients, the
21 coordinator shall annually select 1 recipient to be honored as
22 the state's "environmental education teacher of the year". The
23 coordinator shall provide appropriate recognition to the
24 recipient of this award.
25 (5) In implementing this section, the coordinator shall
26 attempt to provide for both of the following:
27 (a) An equitable distribution of T.E.A.C.H. awards given to
1 teachers from all parts of the state.
2 (b) An equitable distribution of grants to teachers from
3 organizations and schools of varying sizes.
4 (6) By October 31, 2005, the department shall prepare and
5 submit to the members of the legislature a report on the
6 T.E.A.C.H. award and grant program under this section. The
7 report shall specify all of the following:
8 (a) For each T.E.A.C.H. award that was given, the name of the
9 recipient and the school or organization where he or she taught
10 on the date the award was given.
11 (b) If a grant was made to a teacher receiving a
12 T.E.A.C.H. award, the amount of the grant and how the grant was
13 used.
14 (c) The department's evaluation of the T.E.A.C.H. award and
15 grant program and whether they should be continued.
16 (7) As used in this section, "eligible teacher" means an
17 individual who teaches environmental education to K-12 aged youth
18 in a public or private school or through a nonprofit organization
19 that is exempt from taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the
20 internal revenue code.