SENATE BILL No. 744

 

 

September 30, 2003, Introduced by Senators BIRKHOLZ, BASHAM and SANBORN and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 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, 2003,                       

                                                                                

9   September 30, 2004, and September 30, 2005, $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 teachers in the state who demonstrate teaching                  

                                                                                

19  excellence in the field of K-12 environmental education.  The               

                                                                                

20  T.E.A.C.H. award may also include a grant to implement a specific           

                                                                                

21  K-12 environmental education project administered by the                    

                                                                                

22  T.E.A.C.H. award recipient.                                                 

                                                                                

23      (2) The coordinator shall annually administer the                           

                                                                                

24  T.E.A.C.H. award and the corresponding grant program.                       

                                                                                

25  Nominations for T.E.A.C.H. awards shall be submitted to the                 

                                                                                

26  coordinator in a manner required by the coordinator and                     

                                                                                

27  containing information required by the coordinator.  Any person             


                                                                                

1   may nominate a teacher for a T.E.A.C.H award.  A corresponding              

                                                                                

2   grant to a T.E.A.C.H. award recipient shall comply with the                 

                                                                                

3   following:                                                                  

                                                                                

4       (a) The T.E.A.C.H. award nominee shall provide a specific                   

                                                                                

5   project proposal describing how the grant would be used.                    

                                                                                

6       (b) The maximum amount of each grant shall be $5,000.00.                    

                                                                                

7   However, a T.E.A.C.H award recipient is eligible to receive more            

                                                                                

8   than 1 grant.                                                               

                                                                                

9       (c) The grant shall be for the implementation of an                         

                                                                                

10  environmental education project that focuses on providing a                 

                                                                                

11  learning experience for students to become better stewards of the           

                                                                                

12  state's natural resources.  Environmental education projects in             

                                                                                

13  any of the following areas shall be considered for grants:                  

                                                                                

14                                                                               (i) Great Lakes and water quality.                                                  

                                                                                

15      (ii) Land conservation.                                                      

                                                                                

16      (iii) Air quality.                                                           

                                                                                

17      (3) From among the T.E.A.C.H. award recipients, the                         

                                                                                

18  coordinator shall annually select 1 recipient to be honored as              

                                                                                

19  the state's "environmental education teacher of the year".  The             

                                                                                

20  coordinator shall provide appropriate recognition to the                    

                                                                                

21  recipient of this award.                                                    

                                                                                

22      (4) By October 31, 2005, the department shall prepare and                   

                                                                                

23  submit to the members of the legislature a report that evaluates            

                                                                                

24  the T.E.A.C.H. award and grant program.  The report shall specify           

                                                                                

25  all of the following:                                                       

                                                                                

26      (a) For each T.E.A.C.H. award that was given, the name of the               

                                                                                

27  recipient and the school where he or she taught on the date the             


                                                                                

1   award was given.                                                            

                                                                                

2       (b) If a grant was made to a teacher receiving a                            

                                                                                

3   T.E.A.C.H. award, the amount of the grant and how the grant was             

                                                                                

4   used.                                                                       

                                                                                

5       (c) The department's evaluation of the T.E.A.C.H. award and                 

                                                                                

6   grant program and whether they should be continued.