Legislation Tracker

Bill summary (AI generated)

The proposed bill titled "Requires DOH to study indoor air quality at public schools, develop list of common indoor air contaminants at public schools, and establish guidance regarding potential mitigation measures" seeks to address the significant issue of indoor air quality in public schools. If passed into law, this bill will mandate the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct a thorough analysis of indoor air conditions within public school environments. The main objectives of the bill include the development of a comprehensive list of common indoor air contaminants found in public schools. This could encompass a variety of pollutants, including chemicals, allergens, and other hazardous substances that may adversely affect the health of students and staff. Once these contaminants are identified, the DOH will also be responsible for formulating guidelines related to mitigation measures. These measures will be essential for ensuring healthier indoor environments conducive to learning and well-being. Additionally, the bill emphasizes the importance of ongoing assessment and improvement of indoor air quality in schools, highlighting a proactive approach to protecting children's health. The establishment of official guidance is likely to involve recommendations on ventilation, maintenance practices, and other strategies aimed at minimizing exposure to potential pollutants. Overall, if the bill becomes law, it will lead to enhanced public health policies focused on creating safer educational settings for children.

History

Quibusdam est est excepturi inventore.

Tue 09 Jan 2024 Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee
Tue 14 Jan 2025 Reported from Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

Bill text html

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 1033

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

SYNOPSIS

Requires DOH to study indoor air quality at public schools, develop list of common indoor air contaminants at public schools, and establish guidance regarding potential mitigation measures.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As reported by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee on January 14, 2025, with amendments.

An Act concerning indoor air quality in public schools and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. As used in this section:

"Department" means the Department of ¹[Environmental Protection] Health¹ .

"Hazardous air pollutant" means the same as that term is defined by section 2 of P.L.1954, c.212 (C.26:2C-2).

"Indoor air contaminant" means any substance, other than water or distillates of air, which is present in a building's internal atmosphere as solid particles, liquid particles, vapors, or gases.

"Indoor air quality" means the quality of air inside a closed building.

"Public school" means the same as that term is defined in N.J.S.18A:1-1.

b. Within one year after the effective date of this act, the Department of ¹[Environmental Protection] Health¹ , acting in cooperation and consultation with the ¹Department of Environmental Protection,¹ Department of Education, the Rutgers Center for Green Building, and any other organization deemed by the department to be appropriate, shall conduct a public school indoor air quality study using a representative sampling of public schools in the State. The representative sampling of schools shall include:

(1) schools that represent diverse regions of the State and provide varying levels of education to students of all ages, including at least one preschool, one kindergarten, one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school located in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State; and

(2) schools of varying ages, including, to the extent practicable, at least: one school constructed within the five year period immediately preceding the effective date of this act; one school constructed not less than five years, nor more than 10 years, prior to the effective date of this act; one school constructed not less than 10 years, nor more than 15 years, prior to the effective date of this act; one school constructed not less than 15 years, nor more than 25 years, prior to the effective date of this act; one school constructed not less than 25 years, nor more than 50 years, prior to the effective date of this act; and one school constructed more than 50 years prior to the effective date of this act.

c. In conducting the public school indoor air quality study pursuant to this section, the department shall:

(1) identify, for each school in the representative sample, the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), hazardous air pollutants, and other indoor air contaminants that are present in the indoor air at each such school, and extrapolate, from the representative sampling, the total number of public schools in the State where each such indoor air contaminant may be present and the estimated level of each indoor air contaminant at each such school in the State;

(2) compile a list of the most common indoor air contaminants in public schools; and

(3) develop and publish guidance documents for public schools and school districts describing the ways in which such schools may take action to reduce the presence or mitigate the effects of indoor air contaminants identified on the list prepared pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection. In developing guidance documents pursuant to this paragraph, the department shall consider and incorporate, as deemed appropriate, any existing guidance on this issue that has been published by the Department of ¹[Health] Environmental Protection¹ or the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

d. The Department of ¹[Environmental Protection] Health¹ shall provide the Department of Education with a copy of the list and guidance documents developed pursuant to subsection c. of this section, and the Department of ¹[Environmental Protection] Health¹ and Department of Education shall each post a copy of the list and the guidance documents in a publicly accessible location on the respective department's Internet website.

2. This act shall take effect immediately.