20 U.S.C. § 5508 — Environmental Education Advisory Council and Task Force
submitted 36 years ago by Pub. L. 101-619 to r/title-20-EDUCATION · 885 words · no verdicts yet
This section creates an Environmental Education Advisory Council and Federal Task Force. It sets their membership, duties, terms, compensation, reports, and coordination responsibilities.
(a) Creation. A National Environmental Education Advisory Council and Federal Task Force on Environmental Education are established.
(b) Advisory Council. (1) It advises, consults with, and recommends to the Administrator about Agency activities, functions, and policies under this chapter. It is the Administrator’s exclusive advisory body on those matters, may exchange information with other Administrator-created councils, and receives staff support from the Office of Environmental Education. (2) It has 11 Administrator-appointed members after consulting the Secretary: two for primary and secondary education, including one classroom teacher; two for colleges and universities; two for nonprofit environmental education organizations; two for State education and natural-resources departments; two for business and industry; and one for senior Americans. A Secretary representative is an ex officio member. 18 U.S.C. § 208(a) conflict-of-interest rules do not apply to participation in matters affecting the financial interests of the employers members represent under this subsection. (3) The Administrator must provide geographic diversity, minority representation, and scientific, policy, and other suitable professional backgrounds. (4) Members serve three years, except a vacancy appointee serves the rest of the predecessor’s term, and the first terms end for four members after three years, four after two years, and three after one year after November 16, 1990, as the Administrator designates. (5) For Council meetings and business, members receive Administrator-set pay and allowances up to the daily equivalent of GS-18 basic pay for each duty day including travel. Away from home or regular business, they receive travel expenses including per diem as intermittent Government workers do under 5 U.S.C. § 5703(b). (6) 5 U.S.C. § 1013(a), about termination, does not apply.
(c) Task Force. (1) It advises, consults with, and recommends to the Administrator about implementing this chapter and coordinates implementation with other Federal agencies. (2) It includes Education, Interior, Agriculture, EPA, NOAA, the Council on Environmental Quality, Tennessee Valley Authority, and National Science Foundation. (3) EPA chairs it. (4) The Administrator may ask other agencies to participate when appropriate.
(d) Reports. (1) After public review and comment, the Council must report to Congress within 24 months after November 16, 1990, and every two years afterward. The report must (A) describe and assess the Nation’s environmental education’s extent and quality; (B) describe activities under this chapter and related authority during the prior two years; (C) summarize obstacles to improving environmental education, including national-park and wildlife-refuge programs, and recommend solutions; (D) identify skills, education, and training needed for current and expected environmental problems and recommend enough opportunities; and (E) describe and assess programs for senior Americans, recommend improvements, describe Federal programs for senior environmental education, and recommend how those programs can coordinate with nonprofit senior organizations and existing environmental education institutions and organizations nationwide. (2) The Task Force must review and comment on the draft report.
There is hereby established a National Environmental Education Advisory Council and a Federal Task Force on Environmental Education.
The Advisory Council shall advise, consult with, and make recommendations to, the Administrator on matters relating to activities, functions, and policies of the Agency under this chapter. With respect to such matters, the Council shall be the exclusive advisory entity for the Administrator. The Council may exchange information with other Advisory Councils established by the Administrator. The Office of Environmental Education shall provide staff support to the Council.
The Advisory Council shall consist of 11 members appointed by the Administrator after consultation with the Secretary. Two members shall be appointed to represent primary and secondary education (one of whom shall be a classroom teacher); two members shall be appointed to represent colleges and universities; two members shall be appointed to represent not-for-profit organizations involved in environmental education; two members shall be appointed to represent State departments of education and natural resources; two representatives shall be appointed to represent business and industry; and one representative shall be appointed to represent senior Americans. A representative of the Secretary shall serve as an ex officio member of the Advisory Council. The conflict of interest provision at section 208(a) of title 18 shall not apply to members’ participation in particular matters which affect the financial interests of employers which they represent pursuant to this subsection.
The Administrator shall provide that members of the Council represent the various geographic regions of the country, has minority representation, and that the professional backgrounds of the members include scientific, policy, and other appropriate disciplines.
Each member of the Advisory Council shall hold office for a term of 3 years, except that—
any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term; and
the terms of the members first taking office shall expire as follows: four shall expire 3 years after November 16, 1990, four shall expire 2 years after November 16, 1990, and three shall expire 1 year after November 16, 1990, as designated by the Administrator at the time of appointment.
Members of the Advisory Council appointed under this section shall, while attending meetings of the Council or otherwise engaged in business of the Council, receive compensation and allowances at a rate to be fixed by the Administrator, but not exceeding the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay in effect for grade GS–18 of the General Schedule for each day (including travel time) during which they are engaged in the actual performance of duties vested in the Council. While away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Council, members of the Council shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b) 1 of title 5.
Section 1013(a) of title 5, relating to termination, shall not apply to the Advisory Council.
The Federal Task Force on Environmental Education shall advise, consult with and make recommendations to the Administrator on matters relating to implementation of this chapter and assure the coordination of such implementation activities with related activities of other Federal agencies.
Membership of the Task Force shall include the—
Department of Education,
Department of the Interior,
Department of Agriculture,
the Environmental Protection Agency,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Council on Environmental Quality,
Tennessee Valley Authority, and
National Science Foundation.
The Environmental Protection Agency shall chair the Task Force.
The Administrator may ask other Federal agencies to participate in the meetings and activities of the Task Force where the Administrator finds it appropriate in carrying out the requirements of this chapter.
The Advisory Council shall, after providing for public review and comment, submit to the Congress, within 24 months of November 16, 1990, and biennially thereafter, a report which shall—
describe and assess the extent and quality of environmental education in the Nation;
provide a general description of the activities conducted pursuant to this chapter and related authorities over the previous 2-year period;
summarize major obstacles to improving environmental education (including environmental education programs relating to national parks and wildlife refuges) and make recommendations for addressing such obstacles;
identify personnel skills, education, and training needed to respond to current and anticipated environmental problems and make recommendations for actions to assure sufficient educational and training opportunities in these professions; and
describe and assess the extent and quality of environmental education programs available to senior Americans and make recommendations thereon; describe the various Federal agency programs to further senior environmental education; and evaluate and make recommendations as to how such educational apparatuses could best be coordinated with nonprofit senior organizations across the Nation, and environmental education institutions and organizations now in existence.
The Federal Task Force on Environmental Education shall review and comment on a draft of the report to Congress.
Source credit: (Pub. L. 101–619, § 9, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3333; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(150), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4322.)
- 1990Enacted · Pub. L. 101-619 · 104 Stat. 3333
- 2022Amended · Pub. L. 117-286 · 136 Stat. 4322
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 101-619 on 1990-11-16.
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