Budget Amendment ID: FY2024-S3-671

EDU 671

Blue Economy Education Fund

Ms. Moran and Messrs. Tarr, Keenan and Cyr moved that the proposed new text be amended by adding the following section:-

SECTION X. Chapter 69 of the General Laws, is hereby amended by adding, after section 1T, the following section:-

Section 1U. There shall be within the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education a Blue Economy Education Fund to be used to provide funding to the Commonwealth’s high schools to expand educational development, workforce training, and job placement programs in blue-STEAM industries. Blue-STEAM industries are defined as ocean sector jobs in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall create an application process for interested high schools to apply to the Blue Economy Education Fund. All funding shall be prioritized to applications by high schools located within an environmental justice community or composed of a substantial number of students from environmental justice communities, as defined in section 62 of chapter 30 as amended by Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021.