Connecticut SB 1198: AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SCHOOL INDOOR AIR QUALITY WORKING GROUP.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1198
January Session, 2023 LCO No. 5376

Referred to Committee on EDUCATION

Introduced by:
(ED)

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
SCHOOL INDOOR AIR QUALITY WORKING GROUP.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 370 of public act 22-118 is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
(a) There is established a working group to study and make 3
recommendations related to indoor air quality within school buildings. 4
Such recommendations shall include, but need not be limited to: 5
(1) The optimal humidity and temperature ranges to ensure healthy 6
air and promote student learning; 7
(2) Threshold school air quality emergency conditions warranting 8
temporary school closures based on the presence of insufficient heat, an 9
excessive combination of indoor temperature and humidity levels, or 10
some other thresholds; 11
(3) Criteria for rating the priority of heating, ventilation and air 12
conditioning repair and remediation needs, including the public health 13

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condition and needs of the students attending a school; 14
(4) Optimal heating, ventilation and air conditioning system 15
performance benchmarks for minimizing the spread of infectious 16
disease; 17
(5) Protocols to be used by school districts to receive, investigate and 18
address complaints or evidence of mold, pest infestation, hazardous 19
odors or chemicals and poor indoor air-quality; 20
(6) The frequency with which local and regional boards of education 21
should be providing for a uniform inspection and evaluation program 22
of the indoor air quality within school buildings, such as the 23
Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality Tools for 24
Schools Program, and whether such program should be provided for at 25
all schools or only at those constructed before or after a certain date; 26
(7) Best practices for the proper maintenance of heating, ventilation 27
and air conditions systems in school buildings, including the frequency 28
and scope of such maintenance; 29
(8) A system of equitable distribution of funds, based on need, under 30
the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system grant program 31
pursuant to section 10-265r of the general statutes; 32
[(8)] (9) Any other criteria affecting school indoor air quality; and 33
[(9)] (10) Proposals for legislation to carry out any of the 34
recommendations of the working group. 35
(b) The working group shall consist of the following members: 36
(1) Three appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one 37
of whom is a representative of ConnectiCOSH, one of whom is a 38
representative of the Associated Sheet Metal and Roofing Contractors of 39
Connecticut, and one of whom is a member of the Senate; 40
(2) Three appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 41

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one of whom is a specialist in the field of children's health, one of whom 42
[shall] is a representative of the Connecticut State Building Trades 43
Council, and one of whom is a member of the House of Representatives; 44
(3) Two appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one of whom 45
is a representative of the American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut 46
and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of 47
Public School Superintendents; 48
(4) Two appointed by the majority leader of the House of 49
Representatives, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut 50
Education Association and one of whom is a representative of the 51
Connecticut Association of Boards of Education; 52
(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one of whom 53
is a specialist in the field of medicine on respiratory health and one of 54
whom is a representative of the Council of Small Towns; 55
(6) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House, one of whom 56
is an industrial hygienist and one of whom is a representative of the 57
Mechanical Contractors of Connecticut; 58
(7) Two appointed by the Governor, one of whom is a school nurse 59
and one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Conference of 60
Municipalities; 61
(8) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the 62
Secretary's designee; 63
(9) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; 64
(10) The Commissioner of Administrative Services, or the 65
commissioner's designee; 66
(11) The Labor Commissioner, or the commissioner's designee; 67
(12) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's 68
designee; 69

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(13) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection, or the 70
commissioner's designee; and 71
(14) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or 72
the commissioner's designee. 73
(c) All appointments to the working group shall be made not later 74
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