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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="7-117" title_number="7" title_name="Public Schools" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="General Provisions">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Governor shall include the following amounts in the State budget to the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education for increasing the number of green schools in the State:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>For fiscal year 2021, $278,750;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>For fiscal year 2022, $268,300;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>For fiscal year 2023, $272,100;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>For fiscal year 2024, $276,400;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>For fiscal year 2025, $280,850;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>For fiscal year 2026, $280,850;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>For fiscal year 2027, $280,850; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>For fiscal year 2028, $216,600.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The appropriations made under subsection (a) of this section may only be used as follows:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>To support professional development, assist with transportation of students to and from environmentally focused activities, or support school projects that incorporate environmental best practices for waste and recycling, energy conservation, water conservation, schoolyard habitat, outdoor classrooms, transportation, or health, the following allocations:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>For fiscal year 2021, $115,000;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2022, $115,300;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2023, $115,600;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>For fiscal year 2024, $116,000;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>For fiscal year 2025, $116,250;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>For fiscal year 2026, $116,250;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2027, $116,250; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2028, $116,600;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>To increase the number of environmental educators in the State who will provide green schools training and assist schools with becoming a green school, the following allocations:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>For fiscal year 2021, $125,750;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2022, $130,000;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2023, $133,500;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>For fiscal year 2024, $137,400;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>For fiscal year 2025, $141,600;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>For fiscal year 2026, $141,600;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2027, $141,600; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2028, $85,000;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>To support statewide green school events, the following allocations:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>For each of fiscal years 2021 through 2027, $8,000; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2028, $6,000;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>To conduct, in accordance with subsection (c) of this section, an annual evaluation of the impact of the funds appropriated under this section on increasing the number of green schools in the State, the following allocations:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>For each of fiscal years 2021 through 2027, $10,000; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For fiscal year 2028, $4,000; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>To create an online application form for a school to apply to get funding under this section, the following allocations:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>For fiscal year 2021, $20,000; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For each of fiscal years 2022 through 2028, $5,000.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The annual evaluation funded under subsection (b)(4) of this section shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Be conducted annually in calendar years 2022 through 2029;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Be conducted by an independent contractor that has experience evaluating environmental programs;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Examine whether the funding has:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Increased support for the development of green schools;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Provided professional development to more teachers; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Increased the environmental literacy of students; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>On completion, be provided to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The President of the Senate;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Speaker of the House;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The State Superintendent;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>The Secretary of the Environment;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>The Secretary of Natural Resources;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>The Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>The House Committee on Ways and Means; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>The House Environment and Transportation Committee.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
