House File 199 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY REICHERT and H. MILLER
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 1908HH 83
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, 2010, 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 2010. 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 1908HH 83
3 26 rn/nh/5