SB794: Bill Text

LRB-5042/1

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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Senate BILL 794

December 8, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Larson, Smith, Agard, Roys, Taylor, Spreitzer and Carpenter, cosponsored by Representatives Conley, Andraca, Clancy, Bare, Subeck, Palmeri, Jacobson, Shankland, J. Anderson, Moore Omokunde, Stubbs, Emerson, Joers, Neubauer, Baldeh, Ratcliff, Vining, Shelton, Madison and Drake. Referred to Committee on Education.

SB794,1,3 An Act to create 115.29 (9) of the statutes; relating to: model academic standards related to climate change, developing climate change curriculum resources, and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill authorizes the state superintendent of public instruction to adopt model academic standards related to climate change. If the state superintendent adopts model climate change standards, they must incorporate a) an understanding of climate, b) the interconnected nature of climate change, c) the potential local and global impacts of climate change, and d) the individual and societal actions that may mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. The bill also allows the state superintendent to a) provide grants to or contract with other state agencies or nonprofit organizations to develop climate change curriculum resources and b) to assist school districts in developing climate change curriculum resources. In either case, the bill requires that, if the state superintendent adopts climate change model academic standards, the climate change curriculum resources align with those standards.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB794,1 Section 1. 115.29 (9) of the statutes is created to read:

SB794,2,6 115.29 (9) Climate change; model academic standards and curriculum resources. (a) Adopt model academic standards related to climate change that incorporate an understanding of climate, the interconnected nature of climate change, the potential local and global impacts of climate change, and individual and societal actions that may mitigate the harmful effects of climate change.

SB794,2,10 (b) Provide grants to or contract with state agencies or nonprofit organizations to assist in developing interdisciplinary climate change curriculum resources for the elementary, middle, and high school levels. If the state superintendent adopts model academic standards under par. (a), the resources shall align with those standards.

SB794,2,13 (c) Assist school boards in developing climate change curriculum and curriculum resources. If the state superintendent adopts model academic standards under par. (a), the curriculum and resources shall align with those standards.

SB794,2 Section 2 . Nonstatutory provisions.

SB794,2,19 (1) The authorized FTE positions for the department of public instruction are increased by 1.0 GPR project position, to be funded from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (a), for the purpose of adopting the model academic standards under s. 115.29 (9) (a) and providing the assistance under s. 115.29 (9) (c) for a 2-year period beginning not earlier than January 1, 2024.

SB794,3 Section 3. Fiscal changes.

SB794,3,4 (1) Climate change; position authorization and grants. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2023-24 is increased by $200,000 to fund 1.0 FTE GPR project position authorized under Section 2 (1) of this act and to fund the grants under s. 115.29 (9) (b). In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (1) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2024-25 is increased by $300,000 to fund 1.0 FTE GPR project position authorized under Section 2 (1 ) of this act and to fund the grants under s. 115.29 (9) (b).

SB794,4 Section 4. Effective date.

SB794,3,8 (1) The treatment of Section 3 of this act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2023 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

SB794,3,9 (End)