Outdoor Equity Grants Program - - CA Public Resources

Section § 5090.75

This law section creates the Outdoor Equity Grants Program to help underserved and at-risk groups enjoy outdoor educational experiences in state parks and public lands. The program offers grants to public organizations and nonprofits, focusing on costs like transportation and logistics to reach historically underserved communities.

The director is responsible for setting up the criteria and procedures for the grant program, making sure priority is given to low-income, urban, and rural communities with limited participation in such activities. Priority is given to programs helping students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, foster youth, and those with limited English skills. Programs that align with California's school standards, focus on environmental stewardship, or mix STEM and art education get a preference.

Additional considerations may include serving more participants, creating partnerships, promoting healthy lifestyles, and including community service elements. Funding may also be provided for staff training. The department must work with stakeholders to ensure the program benefits all parts of California and addresses regional transportation needs.

(a) The director shall establish the Outdoor Equity Grants Program to increase the ability of underserved and at-risk populations to participate in outdoor environmental educational experiences at state parks and other public lands where outdoor environmental education programs take place. The grant program shall award grants to public organizations, including local governments and local educational agencies, joint powers authorities, open-space authorities, regional open-space districts, other relevant public agencies, or nonprofit organizations, with a focus on funding transportation, logistical, and program operations and capacity costs associated with reaching historically underserved communities.

(b) In developing the grant program, the director shall do both of the following:

(1) Develop criteria, procedures, and accountability measures as may be necessary to implement the grant program.

(2) Administer the grant program to ensure that priority is given to underserved populations, including both urban and rural areas and low-income communities, where participation in outdoor environmental education and recreation programs has been limited.

(c) The director shall give priority for funding to outdoor environmental education programs that primarily provide outreach to and serve pupils who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, foster youth, or pupils of limited English proficiency, as these terms are defined in Section 42238.01 of the Education Code, and have one or more of the following attributes:

(1) Have a curriculum that is aligned to the content standards for California public schools adopted by the State Board of Education, including, but not limited to, the Next Generation Science standards, or the California History-Social Science standards.

(2) Foster stewardship of the environment and include, when available, curriculum established pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 71300) of Division 34.

(3) Integrate instruction in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

(d) The director may give additional consideration to outdoor environmental education programs that do any of the following:

(1) Maximize the number of participants that can be served.

(2) Demonstrate partnerships between public, private, and nonprofit entities.

(3) Contribute to healthy lifestyles, sound nutritional habits, and improved outdoor educational and recreational experiences.

(4) Include service learning and community outreach components for purposes of building partnerships between participants and local communities.

(e) The director may provide funding for professional learning, based on approved content standards, for the staff and volunteers of those programs given priority pursuant to subdivision (c).

(f) In implementing the grant program, the department shall work with relevant stakeholders to promote and implement the grant program in a manner that effectively reaches a wide geography throughout the state and ensures that regions in northern, central, and southern California, including both urban and rural areas, are adequately considered with an emphasis on addressing the transportation needs within these regions.

Outdoor Equity Grants Program underserved populations outdoor education public lands transportation costs logistical support historically underserved communities low-income communities foster youth English proficiency California public schools standards environmental stewardship STEM education community partnerships Northern Central Southern California

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 675, Sec. 1. (AB 209) Effective January 1, 2020.)

Section § 5090.76

This law section outlines the funding rules for a grant program managed by a department. It specifies that the Legislature's general funds can't be used for the grant program unless the Legislature authorizes it. The director of the department can receive and seek private donations to fund the grant program, and all funds received must go into the California Outdoor Equity Account. No program activities can start until there's enough money in the account for administration and grants.

(a) Except as authorized by the Legislature, the department shall not allocate for the purposes of the grant program any general fund moneys appropriated by the Legislature to the department in the annual Budget Act.

(b) The director may accept private donations made for the support of the grant program. The director may solicit and accept private funding to help offset the costs of the grant program.

(c) All moneys received pursuant to this section or appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of the grant program shall be deposited in the California Outdoor Equity Account, which is hereby created within the State Parks and Recreation Fund.

(d) Before commencing any program development activities for the grant program, adequate donations or funds shall be deposited into the California Outdoor Equity Account. This amount shall be sufficient to administer the grant program and provide grant awards.

grant program funding private donations California Outdoor Equity Account State Parks and Recreation Fund program development funds legislature authorization grant program administration grant program costs fund allocation private funding acceptance general fund restrictions budget act appropriations outdoor equity grants director's role in funding adequate donations

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 675, Sec. 1. (AB 209) Effective January 1, 2020.)

Section § 5090.77

This law requires the department to collect information from applicants each year to evaluate how well outdoor environmental education programs are meeting the goals of the grant program. Every year, the department must summarize this information in a report for the Legislature's budget and fiscal committees. The report needs to include details like how many children were served, the types of entities that got grants, any recommendations for improving the program, partnerships made, educational goals achieved, how many applications were received, and how many children could have been served if all applications were funded.

The report must follow the requirements outlined in another specified section of the Government Code.

(a) The department shall gather information from applicants following each award year for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of outdoor environmental education programs in achieving the objectives of the grant program. Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department shall annually summarize and report this information for the previous award year to the appropriate budget and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The information in the annual report shall include the total number of children served, the total number and types of entities that received grant awards, appropriate recommendations to improve the grant program, partnerships formed, educational objectives achieved, the total number of applications received, and the total number of children who would have been served had all applicants for the award year received grant awards.

(b) A report required pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

outdoor environmental education grant program evaluation children served annual report grant awards Legislature committees improve grant program partnerships formed educational objectives application process funding outcomes Government Code compliance program effectiveness fiscal oversight

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 675, Sec. 1. (AB 209) Effective January 1, 2020.)

Section § 5090.78

This law says that the department must create guidelines needed to fulfill the goals of this chapter. The usual rules for creating such guidelines don't apply here. Instead, the department should organize three public hearings in three different locations across the state to gather public feedback before finalizing the guidelines.

The department shall adopt guidelines it determines as necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code does not apply to the adoption of guidelines pursuant to this section. The department shall develop a process for public comment and review of the guidelines that involves three public hearings in three different parts of the state before the adoption of those guidelines.

department guidelines public hearings public feedback guideline adoption public comment process statewide hearings exemption from standard rules chapter goals guideline development community involvement regional hearings guideline review public involvement California process guideline finalization

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 675, Sec. 1. (AB 209) Effective January 1, 2020.)