Amends TCA Title 4; Title 11; Title 49 and Title 70.

Subject to available funds, this bill requires the commissioner of education, with input from the executive director of the wildlife resources agency, to create and administer a grant program for outdoor environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based education and recreation programs. The opportunity to receive grants from an account, established by this bill and described below, will be available to public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, formal school programs, nonformal after-school programs, and community-based programs. This bill requires:<br /> <br /> (1) The commissioner to set priorities and develop criteria for awarding grants, including priorities and criteria listed in the bill;<br /> (2) That programs that provide outdoor education opportunities to schools be fully aligned with the state's academic standards to be eligible for a grant;<br /> (3) That the grant program be phased in, beginning with the schools and students with the greatest needs; and<br /> (4) That the grant program focus on students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches who are more academically at risk or more likely to drop out of school.<br /> <br /> This bill establishes a separate account within the state treasury to be known as the outdoor education and recreation program account. This account is to be composed of:<br /> <br /> (1) Funds appropriated by the general assembly for the account; and<br /> (2) Gifts, grants, and other donations received by the department of education for the account.<br /> <br /> This bill requires the commissioner to use funds in the account solely for the program's purpose, including the administration of the program; provided, however, the commissioner must not expend more than 5 percent of the total amount appropriated for the program in any fiscal year on the administration of the program. The bill requires the state treasurer to invest funds in the account, to the extent practical and in accordance with policy guidelines approved by the state funding board, for the sole benefit of the account. This bill authorizes the commissioner of finance and administration to carry forward any amounts remaining in the account or transfer any part of the account to the revenue fluctuation reserve.<br /> <br /> This bill will take effect January 1, 2020.<br /> <br /> ON APRIL 8, 2019, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 58, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to establish a task force regarding the creation of the Tennessee outdoor education and recreation grant program. The task force will consist of the following persons or their designees:<br /> <br /> (1) The commissioner of environment and conservation; <br /> (2) The commissioner of education; <br /> (3) The executive director of the Tennessee wildlife resources agency; <br /> (4) The commissioner of health; <br /> (5) The commissioner of economic and community development; and <br /> (6) The commissioner of agriculture.<br /> <br /> The department of environment and conservation will provide support services to the task force.<br /> <br /> This amendment directs the task force to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the speakers of the house and senate and the governor no later than July 1, 2020. The findings and recommendations must include: <br /> <br /> (1) Studies and reports regarding the potential benefits of outdoor education and recreation;<br /> (2) An inventory of any existing grant programs and other existing programs offered to provide access to outdoor education and recreation;<br /> (3) Identification of barriers that prevent students with limited access to outdoor education and recreation from benefitting fully from currently available opportunities; and<br /> (4) The manner in which creation of the Tennessee outdoor education and recreation grant program could address the identified barriers or otherwise broaden opportunities for students with limited access to outdoor education and recreation and the priorities and criteria that would enable the program to most successfully target those students.<br /> <br /> The task force will cease to exist on July 1, 2020.<br /> <br />