House File 2171 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY REICHERT Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act requiring public schools and specified nonpublic schools 2 to utilize environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance 3 products in school facilities. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5787HH 82 6 rn/nh/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 280.29 SCHOOL CLEANING AND 1 2 MAINTENANCE == GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS. 1 3 1. FINDINGS AND INTENT. The general assembly finds that 1 4 children are vulnerable to and may be severely affected by 1 5 exposure to chemicals, hazardous waste, and other 1 6 environmental hazards. The federal environmental protection 1 7 agency estimates that human exposure to indoor air pollutants 1 8 can be two to five times, and up to one hundred times, higher 1 9 than outdoor levels. Children, teachers, janitors, and other 1 10 staff members spend a significant amount of time inside school 1 11 buildings and are continuously exposed to chemicals from 1 12 cleaners, waxes, deodorizers, and other maintenance products. 1 13 2. USE OF GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS. By July 1, 2009, all 1 14 school districts in this state, and accredited nonpublic 1 15 schools with an enrollment of at least fifty pupils, shall 1 16 conform to a green cleaning policy requiring the exclusive 1 17 purchase and use of green cleaning products for purposes of 1 18 school building cleaning and maintenance. For purposes of 1 19 this section, "green cleaning products" means environmentally 1 20 sensitive and nontoxic cleaning and maintenance products and 1 21 supplies. A school district or accredited nonpublic school 1 22 may deplete its existing cleaning and maintenance supply 1 23 stocks and implement the new requirements in the procurement 1 24 cycle for the following school year. A school district or 1 25 accredited nonpublic school shall be exempt from the 1 26 requirements of this section if the district or school submits 1 27 written documentation to the department on an annual basis 1 28 that adoption of the policy would result in a significant 1 29 increase in annual cleaning and maintenance product and supply 1 30 costs. 1 31 3. POLICY GUIDELINES AND SPECIFICATIONS. The department, 1 32 in consultation with the department of public health, shall 1 33 establish by rule and update on an annual basis thereafter 1 34 guidelines and specifications for the use of green cleaning 1 35 products in school buildings, and shall maintain a list of 2 1 approved products, together with estimated costs and supply 2 2 vendors. The department shall provide multiple avenues by 2 3 which cleaning products may be determined to be 2 4 environmentally sensitive and nontoxic, and the guidelines 2 5 developed shall include implementation practices and 2 6 inspection procedures. The completed guidelines shall be 2 7 posted and updated on the department's web site, and shall 2 8 additionally be distributed on an updated basis to each school 2 9 district, and accredited nonpublic school with an enrollment 2 10 of at least fifty pupils, in the state. 2 11 Sec. 2. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 2 12 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 2 13 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 2 14 be paid by a public school district from state school 2 15 foundation aid received by the school district under section 2 16 257.16. This specification of the payment of the state cost 2 17 shall be deemed to meet all of the state funding=related 2 18 requirements of section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional 2 19 state funding shall be necessary for the full implementation 2 20 of this Act by and enforcement of this Act against all 2 21 affected school districts. 2 22 EXPLANATION 2 23 This bill requires school districts, and accredited 2 24 nonpublic schools with an enrollment of at least 50 pupils, to 2 25 purchase and utilize green cleaning products for purposes of 2 26 school building cleaning and maintenance beginning July 1, 2 27 2009. The bill defines "green cleaning products" as 2 28 environmentally sensitive and nontoxic cleaning and 2 29 maintenance products and supplies. The bill provides that a 2 30 school district or accredited nonpublic school may deplete its 2 31 existing cleaning and maintenance supply stocks and implement 2 32 the new requirements in the procurement cycle for the 2 33 following school year, and shall be exempt from compliance if 2 34 the district or school submits written documentation to the 2 35 department of education on an annual basis that adoption of 3 1 the policy would result in a significant increase in annual 3 2 cleaning and maintenance product and supply costs. 3 3 The bill provides that the department, in consultation with 3 4 the department of public health, shall establish by rule and 3 5 annually update a policy of guidelines and specifications for 3 6 the use of green cleaning products in school buildings, and 3 7 shall maintain a list of approved products, estimated costs, 3 8 and supply vendors. The department is instructed to provide 3 9 multiple avenues by which cleaning products may be determined 3 10 to be environmentally sensitive and nontoxic, to include in 3 11 the guidelines implementation practices and inspection 3 12 procedures, and to post on the department's web site and 3 13 distribute to each school updated copies of the policy. 3 14 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 3 15 section 25B.3. The bill requires, with respect to public 3 16 school districts, that the state cost of any state mandate 3 17 included in the bill be paid by a school district from state 3 18 school foundation aid received by the district under Code 3 19 section 257.16. This specification is deemed to constitute 3 20 state compliance with any state mandate funding=related 3 21 requirements of Code section 25B.2. The inclusion of this 3 22 specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of 3 23 political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates 3 24 included in the bill. 3 25 LSB 5787HH 82 3 26 rn/nh/5