Number: 97-97
Title: National Environmental Education Act of 1990: Overview, Implementation, and Issues for Congress
Authors: David M. Bearden, Resources, Science and Industry Division 
Abstract: The federal role in environmental education has been an ongoing issue. For nearly two decades, EPA has been the primary federal agency responsible for providing financial assistance to schools to support environmental education. The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-619) established a program within EPA to award grants for educating elementary and secondary school students and training teachers in environmental subjects, and to fund other related activities. The President has proposed to eliminate this program in his annual budget requests each year since FY2003, and did not include any funding for the program in his FY2009 budget request. In response to strong interest at the state and local level, Congress has continued to fund the program each year, appropriating $8.9 million for FY2008.
Pages: 6
Date: September 22, 2008