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S 391

A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, RELATING TO REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION AT THE ADVANCED LEVEL, DESIGNATED AS

2025-2026 Regular Session

Creates a state Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Trust Fund to fund curriculum, training, and support for K–12 climate literacy, prioritizing underserved communities.

Recommitted to Committee on Education
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Bill Summary · S 391

Summary — S.391 (2025): Elementary and Secondary Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Education

Note: the bill text provided centers on establishing K–12 interdisciplinary climate literacy in Massachusetts. Some of the surrounding metadata (title, committee referrals, and sponsor lists) appear inconsistent with the text; procedural history below reports the multiple referrals and hearings as listed.

Purpose

Create statewide support and structure for interdisciplinary climate literacy instruction in K–12 public schools by (1) establishing a dedicated trust fund to finance curriculum, training and technical support; (2) creating an advisory council; and (3) requiring/promoting district-level Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Plans developed with youth and community input.

Key provisions

  • Establishes the "Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Trust Fund" (new Section 2BBBBBB in Chapter 29):
    • Fund sources: legislative appropriations, public/private gifts, grants, donations, and interest.
    • Money credited to the fund does not revert to the General Fund; expenditures may be made by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education "without further appropriation."
  • Uses of fund (commissioner, in consultation with the Advisory Council):
    • Develop, purchase, distribute and implement interdisciplinary climate literacy curricular materials.
    • Professional development (trainings, seminars, conferences, materials) for educators.
    • Opportunities for districts to assess and share evidence-based best practices and to provide feedback to the Department.
    • Technical support to districts for plan development and implementation.
  • Priority for expenditures given to underserved communities:
    • Schools/districts with high concentrations of economically disadvantaged students, environmental justice populations/communities, or those disproportionately affected by climate change.
    • Additional priority for schools implementing such programs for the first time.

  • Amends Chapter 69 (Education) to add “interdisciplinary climate literacy” to existing language and creates a new Section 1U defining the term and setting plan requirements.

    • Definition: understanding how human actions influence climate and how climate influences people/earth systems across science, STEM, arts, history, social sciences, civics, and government.
    • Requires district plans to be developed with youth involvement, consult environmental/environmental justice/civics organizations, and provide culturally competent instruction for English language learners.
    • Plans must cover causes, impacts, policy responses, environmental justice, history of climate science, evidence-based policy solutions, roles of activism and governance, and core climate system principles (text partially truncated).

  • Creates an Interdisciplinary Climate Literacy Advisory Council:

    • Membership described in the bill (youth leaders, environmental justice representatives, educators from multiple disciplines, environmental education organization reps, an educator-union representative, and climate science/policy experts). Note: the bill text lists membership categories that total 11 seats though it states the council “shall consist of 10 members” (numerical inconsistency in draft).

Who is affected

  • K–12 public school districts, students, teachers, district curriculum planners, and DESE.
  • Special emphasis on underserved and environmental-justice-impacted communities, and English language learners.
  • Community and environmental organizations involved in consultation, and entities providing grants/donations.

Fiscal/administration impact

  • Establishes a dedicated fund to be used for curriculum, training, and technical support; actual fiscal impact depends on appropriations, grants, and gifts credited to the fund.
  • DESE gains authority and responsibility to disburse funds and promulgate guidelines; districts must develop plans (with required consultations).

Procedural status (as provided)

  • Bill filed: Jan 15, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 896) / introduced in Senate Feb 4, 2025.
  • Referred variously to Judiciary, Education, and (per metadata) Agriculture.
  • Hearings scheduled Sept 16, 2025 (Gardner Auditorium).
  • Reported favorably by committee and referred to Senate Ways & Means on Nov 13, 2025.
  • Note: metadata contains duplicate/contradictory entries (committees, titles, sponsors). Recommend consulting the official Massachusetts Legislature website for the committee of reference and the most current bill text and status.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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