ASSEMBLY, No. 792
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1994 SESSION
By Assemblyman OROS, Assemblywoman OGDEN
and Assemblyman Corodemus
AN ACT concerning environmental education, supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey
Statutes, repealing P.L.1971. c.279, and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is hereby created in but not of the Department of Environmental Protection the New
Jersey Commission on Environmental Education. The commission shall consist of 1
[21] 2
[221
] 232
public members, the commissioners, or their designees, of the Department of Education, 1
[the
Department of Higher Education,]1
the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of
Health, the 1
[environmental prosecutor] Attorney General1
or a designee 1
with responsibility in the area
of environmental law, the Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education1
, and a designee
of the governor. The public members shall consist of two college professors in the fields of
environmental education or environmental science; one private school teacher and two public school
teachers, one of whom is selected by the New Jersey Education Association, including one teacher from
1
[kindergarden] kindergarten1
to third grade, one from fourth to sixth grade, and one from seventh to
twelfth grade; one school administrator; 1
one representative of the New Jersey Principals and
Supervisors Association;1
one local school board representative selected by the New Jersey School
Board Association; one member of 2
[the clergy] an interfaith religious organization2
; one representative
from labor; one representative from industry; two representatives from environmental or public interest
organizations; two representatives from cultural institutions such as museums and nature centers; two
representatives from the field of environmental health; two non-academic science professionals; two
representatives from the agricultural community; 2
[and]2
one student representative from a student
environmental organization, such as Kids Against Pollution 2
; and one representative from the South
Jersey Environmental Information Center2
.
b. The public members shall be appointed by the 1
[governor] Governor1
for terms of three years,
except that the student representative shall be appointed for a term of one year, and in the first year the
other public members shall be appointed to staggered terms as follows:
(1) 1
[Six] Seven1
shall be appointed to terms of one year;
(2) Seven shall be appointed to terms of two years; and
(3) Seven shall be appointed to terms of three years.
c. The commission shall meet, at a minimum, four times a year.
d. 1
The commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its membership.
The term of office for each position shall be two years.
e.1
The commission 3
[shall have a full-time Executive Director and at least one full-time staff
member.] may hire staff as necessary within the limits of funding as provided by section 5 of P.L. c.
(C. ) (now pending before the Legislature as this bill).3
2. The commission shall:
a. Advise and oversee the implementation of the Plan of Action 1
[which] that1
was adopted by the
Commission on Environmental Education 1
[established] created1
by Executive Order Number 205 of
1989 and 1
reconvened as the New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education by Executive Order
Number 111 of 19931
;
b. Develop and maintain, with the assistance of the various agencies and departments, a bi-annual
inventory of the environmental education resources that are available in all State agencies and
departments;
c. Develop and maintain an Environmental Education Network of activities, resources and model
programs throughout the State;
d. Organize a global forum on environmental education to be held every three to five years;
e. Organize and support an annual Environmental Education Week;
f. Support such other environmental education activities as the commission determines are
appropriate;
g. Provide technical assistance to the Legislature for legislation related to environmental education;
and
h. Submit an annual report on the status of environmental education to the Governor and the
Legislature.
3. The 3
[State Board of Education shall:
a. Integrate environmental education into the State's curriculum frameworks, proficiencies and
assessment programs, including the fourth grade, eighth grade, and eleventh grade State tests, except
that environmental education shall not be a graduation requirement;] Inter-agency Work Group, created
pursuant to section 4 of P.L. c. (C. ) (now pending before the Legislature as this bill), may:3
3
[b.] a.3
Publicize existing model environmental education programs;
3
[c.] b.3
Provide leadership and coordination in conducting teacher in-service programs throughout
the State;
3
[d.] c.3
Solicit public and private partnerships at the local, State and national levels to provide
teacher education programs; and
3
[e.] d.3
Provide the commission with information concerning the availability of environmental
education to students in the State.
4. There is created an Inter-agency Work Group, which shall consist of the commissioner 1
or
secretary1
, or his designee, of each of the principal departments. This work group shall meet
periodically to coordinate the environmental education efforts of the various departments and agencies
in the State.
5. 3
[a.]3
The Environmental Education Fund is established as a nonlapsing revolving fund in the
Department of Environmental Protection. The fund shall be administered by the commission, and shall
be credited with all moneys appropriated by this act and with grant moneys or any other revenue
obtained by the commission for the purpose of environmental education. Interest received on moneys in
the fund shall be credited to the fund.
3
[b. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Environmental Education Fund 1
[$300,000,
of which $150,000 shall be from fines and penalties collected for violations of environmental laws] the
sum of $75,0001
. There is allocated from the Environmental Education Fund 1
[$200,000] the sum of
$50,0001
to the Environmental Education Commission and 1
[$100,000] the sum of $25,0001
to the State
Board of Education, to be used for the purposes set forth in sections 2 and 3 of this act.]3
6. P.L.1971, c.279 1
(C.18A:6-80 et seq.)1
is hereby repealed.
7. The Commission on Environmental Education, which was created by Executive Order 1
Number1
205 of 1989 1
and reconvened as the New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education by Executive
Order Number 111 of 19931
, is abolished 1
as of the date of the first meeting of the New Jersey
Commission on Environmental Education created by this act1
.
8. This act shall take effect immediately.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Creates NJ Commission on Environmental Education.
EXPLANATION--Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and
is intended to be omitted in the law.
Matter underlined thus is new matter.
Matter enclosed in superscript numerals has been adopted as follows:
1 Assembly AEN committee amendments adopted November 21, 1994.
2 Assembly floor amendments adopted December 11, 1995.
3 Assembly amendments adopted in accordance with Governor's
recommendations January 9, 1996.
18A:6-91.1.
New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education established;
members; terms of office
a. There is hereby created in but not of the Department of Environmental Protection the New
Jersey Commission on Environmental Education. The commission shall consist of 23 public members,
the commissioners, or their designees, of the Department of Education, the Department of
Environmental Protection, and the Department of Health, the Attorney General or a designee with
responsibility in the area of environmental law, the Executive Director of the Commission on Higher
Education, and a designee of the Governor. The public members shall consist of two college professors
in the fields of environmental education or environmental science; one private school teacher and two
public school teachers, one of whom is selected by the New Jersey Education Association, including one
teacher from kindergarten to third grade, one from fourth to sixth grade, and one from seventh to twelfth
grade; one school administrator; one representative of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors
Association; one local school board representative selected by the New Jersey School Boards
Association; one member of an interfaith religious organization; one representative from labor; one
representative from industry; two representatives from environmental or public interest organizations;
two representatives from cultural institutions such as museums and nature centers; two representatives
from the field of environmental health; two non-academic science professionals; two representatives
from the agricultural community; one student representative from a student environmental organization,
such as Kids Against Pollution; and one representative from the South Jersey Environmental
Information Center.
b. The public members shall be appointed by the Governor for terms of three years, except that
the student representative shall be appointed for a term of one year, and in the first year the other public
members shall be appointed to staggered terms as follows:
(1) Seven shall be appointed to terms of one year;
(2) Seven shall be appointed to terms of two years; and
(3) Seven shall be appointed to terms of three years.
c. The commission shall meet, at a minimum, four times a year.
d. The commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among its membership.
The term of office for each position shall be two years.
e. The commission may hire staff as necessary within the limits of funding as provided by
section 5 of P.L.1995 c. 409 (C. 18A:6-91.5).
18A:6-91.2.
Responsibilities and functions of commission
The commission shall:
a.) Advise and oversee the implementation of the Plan of Action that was adopted by the Commission
on Environmental Education created by Executive Order Number 205 of 1989 and reconvened as the
New Jersey Commission on Environmental Education by Executive Order Number 111 of 1993;
b.) Develop and maintain, with the assistance of the various agencies and departments, a bi-annual
inventory of the environmental education resources that are available in all State agencies and
departments;
c.) Develop and maintain an Environmental Education Network of activities, resources and model
programs throughout the State;
d.) Organize a global forum on environmental education to be held every three to five years;
e.) Organize and support an annual Environmental Education Week;
f.) Support such other environmental education activities as the commission determines are appropriate;
g.) Provide technical assistance to the Legislature for legislation related to environmental education;
and
h.) Submit an annual report on the status of environmental education to the Governor and the
Legislature.
18A:6-91.3.
Inter-agency work group; duties
The Inter-agency Work Group, created pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1995 c. 409 (C. 18A:6-91.4), may:
a.) Publicize existing model environmental education programs;
b.) Provide leadership and coordination in conducting teacher in-service programs throughout the State;
c.) Solicit public and private partnerships at the local, State and national levels to provide teacher
education programs; and
d.) Provide the commission with information concerning the availability of environmental education to
students in the State.
18A:6-91.4.
Inter-agency work group established;
members; coordination of environmental education efforts
There is created an Inter-agency Work Group, which shall consist of the commissioner or secretary, or
his designee, of each of the principal departments. This work group shall meet periodically to
coordinate the environmental education efforts of the various departments and agencies in the State.
18A:6-91.5.
Environmental educational fund established
The Environmental Education Fund is established as a non-lapsing revolving fund in the Department of
Environmental Protection. The fund shall be administered by the commission, and shall be credited
with all moneys appropriated by this act and with grant moneys or any other revenue obtained by the
commission for the purpose of environmental education. Interest received on moneys in the fund shall
be credited to the fund.