H.F. 2029 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 456A.39 No child left inside 1 program —— fund created —— appropriation. 2 1. The director shall establish and administer a no 3 child left inside program to provide grants for outdoor 4 environmental, ecological, and other natural resource-based 5 education and recreation programs serving youth. 6 2. The director may award grants under this section to 7 public school districts or private nonprofit organizations. 8 3. a. In awarding grants under this section, the director 9 shall give preference to programs that satisfy the following 10 priorities: 11 (1) Provides students with opportunities to directly 12 experience and understand nature and the natural world. 13 (2) Uses a research-based, effective environmental, 14 ecological, or other natural resource-based educational 15 curriculum. 16 (3) Maximizes the number of participants that can be served. 17 (4) Serves children with limited opportunities to 18 participate in natural resource-based outdoor activities. 19 (5) Uses public park and other natural resource venues and 20 personnel as a resource. 21 (6) Commits to matching funds or in-kind resources. 22 b. In addition to considering the preferences in paragraph 23 “a” , the director shall ensure that at least fifty percent of 24 the moneys of each grant awarded to a program benefit students 25 attending schools that qualify for funding under Tit. I of the 26 federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 27 4. a. An outdoor education and recreation fund is 28 established in the state treasury under the control of the 29 department. The fund shall consist of moneys deposited 30 in the fund from appropriations, gifts, grants, and other 31 contributions. Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the 32 department for the purpose of issuing grants as part of the 33 no child left inside program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, 34 moneys in the fund that remain unencumbered or unobligated 35 -1- LSB 5435HH (5) 89 js/rn 1/ 3

H.F. 2029 at the close of a fiscal year shall not revert but shall 1 remain available for expenditure for the purpose designated. 2 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or 3 earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. 4 b. The fund may consist of moneys that are deposited in 5 the fund prior to July 1, 2024, from moneys received by the 6 state from the elementary and secondary school emergency relief 7 fund created pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 8 Economic Security Act, Pub. L. No. 116-136, as amended by the 9 Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 116-260, 10 and from moneys received by the state under the American Rescue 11 Plan Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 117-2, unless the governor 12 determines such deposit to be contrary to federal guidelines or 13 regulations. Any moneys deposited pursuant to this paragraph 14 shall be used for the purpose of issuing grants as part of the 15 no child left inside program prior to using moneys deposited to 16 the fund from the general fund. 17 c. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and for each 18 fiscal year thereafter, there is appropriated from the general 19 fund of the state to the outdoor education and recreation fund 20 established in paragraph “a” the sum of one million dollars. 21 At least fifty percent of the moneys appropriated under this 22 paragraph shall be used to provide grants to benefit students 23 attending schools that qualify for funding under Tit. I of the 24 federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill relates to outdoor education and recreation 29 programs serving youth. The bill requires the director of 30 the department of natural resources (DNR) to establish and 31 administer a no child left inside program to provide grants for 32 outdoor environmental, ecological, and other natural resource- 33 based education and recreation programs serving youth. The 34 director may award grants to public school districts or private 35 -2- LSB 5435HH (5) 89 js/rn 2/ 3

H.F. 2029 nonprofit organizations, with preference given to programs that 1 satisfy certain priorities. The director shall also ensure 2 that at least 50 percent of the moneys of each grant awarded to 3 a program benefit students attending schools that qualify for 4 funding under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary 5 Education Act of 1965. 6 The bill establishes an outdoor education and recreation 7 fund in the state treasury under the control of DNR. The 8 fund shall consist of moneys deposited in the fund from 9 appropriations, gifts, grants, and other contributions, but may 10 also consist of moneys that are deposited in the fund prior 11 to July 1, 2024, from moneys received by the state from the 12 elementary and secondary school emergency relief fund created 13 pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 14 Act and from moneys received by the state under the American 15 Rescue Plan Act of 2021, unless the governor determines such 16 deposit to be contrary to federal guidelines or regulations. 17 Any moneys deposited from either federal source shall be used 18 for the purpose of issuing grants as part of the no child left 19 inside program prior to using moneys deposited to the fund from 20 the general fund. 21 For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and each fiscal 22 year thereafter, the bill makes an appropriation of $1 million 23 from the general fund to the outdoor education and recreation 24 fund. At least 50 percent of the moneys appropriated shall 25 be used to provide grants to benefit students attending 26 schools that qualify for funding under Title I of the federal 27 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. 28 -3- LSB 5435HH (5) 89 js/rn 3/ 3