A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 10.1 a section numbered 10.1-104.6:3, relating to Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Fund and Program established.
HB1038 creates the Virginia Student Environmental Literacy Plan Grant Fund and a corresponding grant program within the Office of Environmental Education. The fund would be a special nonreverting account in the state treasury, able to receive appropriations and outside contributions, with money used only for competitive grants to school divisions.
The grants are intended to help local school divisions develop environmental literacy plans. Those plans must align with the Standards of Learning and emphasize environmental literacy as an important citizenship skill, while also helping students understand and address major environmental challenges in Virginia and the United States. The bill gives the Office of Environmental Education, in consultation with the Department of Education and other stakeholders, authority to administer the program and establish rules and procedures.
The bill would add a new section to Title 10.1 of the Code of Virginia establishing a dedicated state fund and grant program for K-12 environmental education planning. It would not mandate a statewide curriculum, but it would create a mechanism for school divisions to seek state support to develop local environmental literacy plans aligned with existing education standards. The measure would affect the Office of Environmental Education, the Department of Education, the State Treasurer, and school divisions applying for grants.
The bill appears generally supportive of environmental education and local planning, with no recorded committee debate or votes in the available materials. Its introduction and referral to Appropriations suggest it was treated as a funding-related proposal rather than a controversial policy overhaul. The absence of recorded opposition or support in the provided history limits the ability to gauge broader sentiment beyond the bill’s affirmative framing.
The main potential point of contention is the creation of a new state fund and grant program, which could raise questions about appropriations, administrative costs, and whether environmental literacy should receive dedicated funding. Another possible issue is the role of environmental education in public schools, including whether the program could be seen as expanding state influence over local curriculum planning. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided transcripts or votes.