republic-os/legal/us/code/title-20/chapter-65/section-5501.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, corpus, kind, title_number, title_name, chapter_number, chapter_name, section, citation, status, release_point, release_date, source, source_url, source_identifier, source_file, source_hash, raw_snapshot_hash, text_hash, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	corpus	kind	title_number	title_name	chapter_number	chapter_name	section	citation	status	release_point	release_date	source	source_url	source_identifier	source_file	source_hash	raw_snapshot_hash	text_hash	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
LegalText	20 U.S.C. § 5501	Findings and policy	us	united_states_code	code_section	20	EDUCATION	65	NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION	5501	20 U.S.C. § 5501	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc20@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t20/s5501	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-20/usc20.xml	d11edf7985b004c27e323c460cff8db0565883a011213bf1cc3503598a58a93b	6022872c5d6a3398d1728f82f8cefcb58db9f5ff548e2a636450be1e4a8bb052	1774e96d36c6206baf08da955d22408813c6e16a520355f911374946347f07e5	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

20 U.S.C. § 5501 - Findings and policy

Text

(a) Findings The Congress finds that—

(1) Threats to human health and environmental quality are increasingly complex, involving a wide range of conventional and toxic contaminants in the air and water and on the land.

(2) There is growing evidence of international environmental problems, such as global warming, ocean pollution, and declines in species diversity, and that these problems pose serious threats to human health and the environment on a global scale.

(3) Environmental problems represent as significant a threat to the quality of life and the economic vitality of urban areas as they do the natural balance of rural areas.

(4) Effective response to complex environmental problems requires understanding of the natural and built environment, awareness of environmental problems and their origins (including those in urban areas), and the skills to solve these problems.

(5) Development of effective solutions to environmental problems and effective implementation of environmental programs requires a well educated and trained, professional work force.

(6) Current Federal efforts to inform and educate the public concerning the natural and built environment and environmental problems are not adequate.

(7) Existing Federal support for development and training of professionals in environmental fields is not sufficient.

(8) The Federal Government, acting through the Environmental Protection Agency, should work with local education institutions, State education agencies, not-for-profit educational and environmental organizations, noncommercial educational broadcasting entities, and private sector interests to support development of curricula, special projects, and other activities, to increase understanding of the natural and built environment and to improve awareness of environmental problems.

(9) The Federal Government, acting through the coordinated efforts of its agencies and with the leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency, should work with local education institutions, State education agencies, not-for-profit educational and environmental organizations, noncommercial educational broadcasting entities, and private sector interests to develop programs to provide increased emphasis and financial resources for the purpose of attracting students into environmental engineering and assisting them in pursuing the programs to complete the advanced technical education required to provide effective problem solving capabilities for complex environmental issues.

(10) Federal natural resource agencies such as the United States Forest Service have a wide range of environmental expertise and a long history of cooperation with educational institutions and technology transfer that can assist in furthering the purposes of the 11 So in original. Probably should be “this”. chapter.

(b) Policy It is the policy of the United States to establish and support a program of education on the environment, for students and personnel working with students, through activities in schools, institutions of higher education, and related educational activities, and to encourage postsecondary students to pursue careers related to the environment.

(Pub. L. 101–619, § 2, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3325.)

Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short TitlePub. L. 101–619, § 1(a), Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3325, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘National Environmental Education Act’.”