H. B. 4496
(By Delegates Laird, Campbell, Williams,
Hall, Prunty, Caputo and Compton)
[Introduced February 19, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia,
one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding
thereto a new article, designated article nine-e, relating
to indoor air quality in schools; short title; legislative
findings; defining terms; requiring the adoption of an
indoor air quality for schools management plan by the state
board of education in cooperation with other state agencies;
requiring dissemination of information; setting standards
related to indoor air quality in the construction of new
schools and renovations, creates an IAQ in schools task
force; and requiring a report on IAQ in school for each
county and school and requires enforcement of the plan by
the state board of education.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new article, designated article nine-e, to read
as follows:
ARTICLE 9E. INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN SCHOOLS ACT.
§18-9E-1. Short title.
This article shall be titled and may be cited as the "Indoor
Air Quality in Schools Act of 1998."
§18-9E-2. Findings.
The Legislature finds that:
(a) The quality of indoor air in schools can either impede
or assist a school in meeting its core mission -- educating
students;
(b) Failure to prevent or quickly resolve indoor air quality
problems in schools can:
(1) Increase the potential for long-term and short-term
health problems;
(2) Reduce productivity for students, teachers and staff;
(3) Accelerate deterioration and reduce efficiency of
heating/cooling equipment;
(4) Strain relationships among school administration and
parents and staff; and
(5) Create potential liability problems.
(c) The United States government accounting office reports
that over half of United States schools have problems which
affect indoor air quality;
(d) In a radon-related investigation, the United States
environmental protection agency found inadequate ventilation in
most of the schools; and
(e) Nearly one in five schools has at least one room with
radon above the EPA recommended action level of four picocuries
per liter.
(f) The United States government accounting office reports
forty-six percent of West Virginia schools have insufficient
ventilation; over eighty percent of West Virginia schools report
at least one unsatisfactory environmental factor, and thirty-one
percent report unsatisfactory indoor air quality.
(g) The interest of this state in providing a healthy and
safe school environment which is conducive to learning is
advanced by ensuring that our public schools have good indoor air
quality for their occupants.
§18-9E-3. Definition.
For the purposes of this article, the term:
(1) "School" means any public school in the state providing
for the education of students in grades prekindergarten through
twelfth grade.
(2) "United States environmental protection agency's IAQ
tools for schools documents" means the materials contained in the
one thousand nine hundred ninety-five edition, as may be amended
in the future, including, but not limited to, the IAQ coordinator's guide, IAQ coordinator's forms, IAQ backgrounder,
IAQ checklists, IAQ problem solving wheel and IAQ tools for
schools -- ventilation basics video.
(3) "Plan" means the indoor air quality in schools
management plan adopted pursuant to section five (a) of this
article.
(4) "Task force" means the indoor air quality in schools
task force created pursuant to section seven of this article.
§18-9E-4. Indoor air quality in schools management plan.
(a) Prior to the first day of September, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-nine, the state board of education shall adopt an
indoor air quality in schools management plan.
(b) On or before the first day of September, two thousand,
every school in this state shall comply with the indoor air
quality in schools management plan.
(c) The plan shall be developed by the state department of
education in conjunction with the state department of health and
human resources, the school building authority and the indoor air
quality task force established in section five of this article.
(d) The plan shall, at a minimum, require schools to meet
the guidelines established as part of the United States
environmental protection agency's IAQ tools for schools
documents.
The plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following components:
(i) Training for all relevant school personnel identified by
the task force prior to the implementation of the plan; and
(ii) An implementation schedule for training and resources
necessary to meet full compliance with the plan by the first day
of September, two thousand.
§18-9E-5. Indoor air quality information for students, parents,
and school employees.
(a) By the first day of September, one thousand nine hundred
ninety-nine, students, parents and school employees shall receive
information developed jointly by the department of education and
the department of health and human resources, in consultation
with the indoor air quality in schools task force regarding
indoor air quality in schools, generally, and the state's plans
to improve indoor air quality in schools.
(b) As school specific indoor air quality information is
developed, the school in conjunction with the department of
education and the department of health and human resources, shall
make this information available to students, parents and school
employees. This information shall include, but not be limited
to, test results related to indoor air quality.
§18-9E-6. New school construction and school renovation.
(a) In an effort to create safe school environments and
notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, any new school constructed in the state of West Virginia by a
county board of education, regardless of the funding source,
shall be constructed in compliance with current codes and
standards of the American society of heating, refrigerating and
air conditioning engineers (ASHRAE), the national fire protection
association (NFPA) and the building officials and code
administrators (BOCA).
Additionally:
(b) All new school buildings constructed in this state in
zone one as identified in the United States environmental
protection agency (EPA) publication "EPA Map of Radon Zones"
(document number EPA 402-R-93-068) shall incorporate an active
soil depressurization system constructed in conformity with the
specifications recommended in the EPA publication "Radon
Prevention in the Design and Construction of Schools and Other
Large Buildings" (document number EPA 625-R-92-016). Prior to
construction of a new school building in zones two or three as
identified in the "EPA Map of Radon Zones," tests required by
school building authority regulations shall be conducted to
determine if radon is present at the proposed construction site.
If radon is detected, additional tests will be performed within
thirty days to confirm the results. If radon is detected,
additional tests shall be performed within thirty days to confirm
the results. If radon is found during both tests in detectable amounts, any new school building constructed on that site shall
incorporate an active soil depressurization system as required
for new buildings in zone one.
(c) All applications and bids to perform new school
construction or school renovation building projects costing over
five thousand dollars must include provisions to assure that:
(1) The design and construction of the new building,
addition or renovation facilitates good indoor air quality for
its occupants; and
(2) The design and construction of the new building,
addition or renovation facilitates operation and maintenance of
the school in such a manner that promotes good indoor air
quality.
(d) Prior to approval of new school construction or school
addition or renovation projects costing over five thousand
dollars, the public body funding the school construction, shall
determine that the building plan appropriately considers and
addresses:
(1) Indoor air quality concerns related to the design and
construction of the new school building or building portion (in
the case of renovation) so as to foster good indoor air quality;
(2) The design elements of the new building, addition or
renovation which facilitate operation and maintenance of the
school in such a manner that promotes good indoor air quality; and
(3) The need to transfer, from the design team to operations
and maintenance personnel, important information on the proper
operation and maintenance of the building and its systems so as
to foster good indoor air quality.
(e) Prior to occupancy of any school building constructed
after the effective date of this article, the heating ventilation
and air conditioning system shall be flow tested to ensure
compliance with the standards set forth in this article.
§18-9E-7. Indoor air quality in schools task force.
(a) An indoor air quality in schools task force, consisting
of thirteen members, is hereby established.
(b) Members of the task force shall include the following:
(1) One person appointed by the commissioner of the
department of health and human resources;
(2) One person appointed by the school building authority;
(3) One person appointed by the state board of education;
(4) One member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
appointed by the speaker of the House;
(5) One member of the West Virginia Senate appointed by the
president of the Senate;
(6) One representative each from the following groups to be
appointed by the governor:
(A) Nonprofit health organization;
(B) State licensed architect or engineer actively engaged in
the practice of school design and construction;
(C) A representative of the general public; and
(D) A member of a county board of education.
(7) Three members who are classroom teachers employed in
public schools elected by the classroom teachers employed in the
state; and
(8) One member who is a school service personnel employed in
public schools and elected by school service personnel employed
in the state.
(c) The state superintendent of schools shall set the first
meeting of the task force within thirty days of receiving notice
of the appointments thereto but in no case later than the first
day of August, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight.
At the first meeting, the task force shall elect a chair
from its members who shall call and preside at all subsequent
meetings.
(d) Duties and responsibilities of the task force shall be
to:
(1) Actively participate in the development of the indoor
air quality in schools management plan in cooperation with the
state department of education, the school building authority and
the state department of health and human resources.
(2) Recommend educational materials for distribution to students, parents and school personnel on indoor air quality in
schools and develop guidelines for the dissemination of indoor
air quality test results and information to students, parents and
school personnel.
(3) Recommend training requirements for school maintenance
and other employees.
(4) Identify interim changes that can be readily implemented
by school officials to improve indoor air quality in schools
pending full compliance with the indoor air quality in school
management plan; and
(5) Identify the need for additional resources and/or
authority for schools so as to assure good indoor air quality for
students and school personnel.
(e) In activities (d) (1) - (4) above, the task force shall
rely to the extent appropriate on the United States environmental
protection agency's IAQ tools for schools documents.
(f) The state department of education and the state
department of health and human resources and the school building
authority shall provide staff support and technical assistance to
the task force in meeting these responsibilities.
§18-9E-8. Indoor air quality in schools report.
(a) The indoor air quality in schools task force shall
report its findings and recommendations in an indoor air quality
in schools report to the Legislature no later than the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine.
(b) The indoor air quality in schools report shall be sent
to the superintendent of each county board of education and the
faculty senate of every school in the state.
(c) The indoor air quality in schools report shall be made
available to the public upon request.
§18-9E-9. Enforcement.
The state board of education shall adopt policies and rules
to ensure compliance with the indoor air quality in schools plan
and shall annually notify the faculty senate and local school
improvement council of any school where, after the first day of
September, two thousand, the school is not in compliance with the
plan and that noncompliance poses health risks to the school's
occupants.
§18-9E-10. Relationship to other health and safety provisions.
Nothing in this article shall be construed to conflict with
other health and safety provisions or preempt more stringent
health and safety requirements in this state.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to ensure a healthy and
safe environment which is conducive to learning in all West
Virginia schools by ensuring good indoor air quality to the
occupants of those buildings. This goal would be accomplished by
the adoption and enforcement of an indoor air quality in schools
management plan by the state board of education in conjunction
with the state department of health and human resources, the
school building authority and a task force created in this
article. The bill also establishes guidelines related to indoor air quality for new construction and renovation of school
buildings.
This article is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.