Senate Bill No. 1198 implements the recommendations of the School Indoor Air Quality Working Group. It establishes a working group to study and make recommendations on indoor air quality in school buildings. The bill also creates a single electronic portal for the submission and posting of inspection and evaluation reports of school buildings' indoor air quality and HVAC systems. The Department of Administrative Services will maintain the portal and prescribe the form and manner in which reports are submitted. The bill also requires more frequent inspections and evaluations of public-school indoor air quality and extends the deadline for HVAC system inspections. It authorizes additional state bonding for the school HVAC system grant program and requires the Department of Public Health to develop guidelines for an optimal temperature comfort range in school buildings.

Senate Bill No. 1198 expands the charge of the School Indoor Air Quality Working Group and extends the deadline for the group to report to the Education, Labor and Public Employees, and Public Health committees. It requires school districts to submit reports and results from annual air quality inspections or evaluations to the Department of Administrative Services. The bill changes the frequency of these inspections from every three years to annually and requires the use of the EPA's Tools for Schools program. The bill also extends the deadline for school districts to start having HVAC inspections every five years by a certified technician, hygienist, or mechanical engineer. It creates a process for the Department of Administrative Services to grant waivers of the inspection and evaluation deadline and requires the establishment of an online portal to collect and make available reports and results of inspections and evaluations. The bill increases the bond authorization for funding school air quality improvements and requires a portion of the authorization to take effect in 2024. Lastly, the bill expands the scope of the working group to include studying and recommending a needs-based system for distributing funds under the HVAC system grant program for schools.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 10-265t
ED Joint Favorable Substitute: 10-265t
File No. 569: 10-265t