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119-s-4377119th CongressWALLET

Climate Change Education Act

Sponsored By: Senator Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

Introduced

Summary

Creates a Climate Change Education Program at NOAA that would expand climate literacy and award grants to link classroom and community learning with practical climate mitigation, adaptation, and workforce solutions.

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  • State and local schools: State education grants would fund climate literacy plans for grades 4–12, teacher professional development, curriculum integration across subjects, project-based learning, and green career pathways. Local school districts could receive grants only if annual appropriations exceed $5 million and state-level grants must be at least $1 million when that threshold is met.
  • Colleges and training programs: Institutions of higher education would get grants for applied climate research, campus–community partnerships, and student engagement in mitigation and adaptation work. The bill generally allocates 30% of grant funds to higher education networks and 10% to professional associations for continuing education in green economy fields.
  • Environmental justice communities and youth corps: The program directs funding to support community-based mitigation and adaptation by youth corps and prioritizes environmental justice communities. The bill authorizes NOAA to appropriate $50 million per year for 2027 through 2032 and requires that 40% of funds for higher education and youth corps be directed to environmental justice communities.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

NOAA climate education funding

If enacted, the bill would authorize $50,000,000 to be appropriated to NOAA for each fiscal year 2027 through 2032. That is $50 million per year and $300 million total over six years. Actual spending would still require Congress to make appropriations each year.

NOAA climate education program

If enacted, the bill would direct NOAA to set up a Climate Change Education Program within one year. The program would use NOAA science and tools to teach climate causes, impacts, adaptation, mitigation, resilience, and climate justice to learners of all ages and languages. It would fund grants and create communities of practice to support K–12 plans, educator training, applied research, and community projects. The bill would also define key program terms that guide who can get grants and how priorities are applied.

Grant splits and local school eligibility

If enacted, NOAA would split any appropriated grant money by set shares each year. By default the split would be 50% to State/local education, 30% to higher education, 10% to professional groups, and 10% to youth corps. If total grants in a year are $5,000,000 or less, NOAA may instead split 60% to State/local and 40% to higher education. The bill would also require 40% of higher-education and youth-corp funds to go to environmental justice communities, and it would require any State/local grant to be at least $1,000,000 when annual grant appropriations exceed $5,000,000. NOAA could not give grants directly to local school districts in years when total grant funding is $5,000,000 or less.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]

MA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

  • Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]

    HI • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

  • Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

  • Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]

    VT • I

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

  • Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

  • Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

  • Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 4/22/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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