Climate change legislative update from Connecticut

The attempt seeking to require the teaching of climate change in Connecticut's public schools by law continues, despite the death of the original bill proposing the requirement. And in the meantime, the two bills attacking the treatment of climate change in Connecticut's state science standards are dead.

House Bill 5011, which would have required the teaching of climate change in Connecticut's public schools starting in elementary school, died in the Joint Committee on Education on April 1, 2019. But a similar requirement was added to House Bill 7352, which was passed by the committee on March 25, 2019.

Testifying before the committee in favor of HB 7352, Christine Palm (D-District 36), the lead sponsor of HB 5011, commented (PDF), "Thank you so much for making this seemingly slight — but very meaningful — change, and helping Connecticut be a leader in teaching about the science of climate change." The bill will still have to pass both houses of the legislature.

House Bill 5955, which would have eliminated "climate change materials" from the Next Generation Science Standards as used in Connecticut, and House Bill 5922, which would have prohibited Connecticut from using the NGSS at all, died in the Joint Committee on the Environment on March 29, 2019. Both bills were sponsored by John E. Piscopo (R-District 76).