2015 -- H 5499

========

LC001267

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives O`Grady, Handy, Amore, Carson, and Morin

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2015

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1

     SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended

2

by adding thereto the following chapter:

3

CHAPTER 21.6

4

GREEN CLEANING ACT OF 2015

5

     16-21.6-1. Title. – This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Green Cleaning

6

Act of 2015."

7

     16-21.6-2. Legislative findings and intent. – It is hereby found and declared as follows:

8

     (1) Research shows a clear link between poor indoor air quality, sick students and

9

teachers, and poor academic and occupational performance. While an effective cleaning program

10

has been scientifically proven to protect against the spread of a variety of diseases and

11

contaminants, some traditional cleaners contain chemicals that may have a greater impact on the

12

environment or a vulnerable population.

13

     (2) Cleaning and maintenance products and procedures that are more sustainable in terms

14

of human and environmental health are increasingly being developed, are commonly available

15

and have become cost competitive.

16

     (3) School districts, public and private elementary and secondary schools should

17

implement green cleaning programs which utilize environmentally preferable cleaning and

18

maintenance products and which promote practices for sustainable cleaning, including paper and

19

equipment procurement.

 

1

     (4) There is a widespread benefit from a marketplace that encourages innovation to

2

develop products that perform effectively while reducing their environmental impact.

3

     16-21.6-3. Definitions. – As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases, unless

4

a different meaning is plainly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:

5

     (1) "Elementary and secondary schools" means facilities used for instruction of

6

elementary or secondary students by:

7

     (i) Any school district;

8

     (ii) Any charter school;

9

     (iii) Any school for students with disabilities; or

10

     (iv) Any other private or parochial elementary or secondary school with greater than

11

twenty-five (25) students.

12

     (2) "Environmentally preferable cleaning and maintenance products" means those

13

cleaning and maintenance products and equipment intended to clean surfaces within a school

14

facility (such as, but not limited to: glass cleaners, bathroom cleaners, carpet cleaners and general

15

surface cleaners) that perform effectively and simultaneously meet the cleaning needs of the

16

school while minimizing adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

17

     (3) "Environmentally preferable paper" means janitorial paper products that minimize the

18

environmental impact resulting from their use, production, transport and disposal.

19

     (4) "Facility" means any school building or facility used for instructional purposes and

20

the surrounding grounds or other sites used for playgrounds, athletics or other instructional

21

purposes.

22

     16-21.6-4. Green cleaning supply guidelines and specifications. – (a) The department

23

of elementary and secondary education (which shall be designated the lead agency for the

24

purposes of this chapter) shall, in consultation with the department of health, and a panel of

25

stakeholders (to be appointed by the director of elementary and secondary education which shall

26

include cleaning industry representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and others) establish

27

and amend on a biennial basis guidelines and specifications for environmentally preferable

28

cleaning and maintenance products, equipment and paper, for use in school facilities. The

29

department of elementary and secondary education shall provide multiple avenues by which

30

cleaning and maintenance products, equipment and paper may be determined to be

31

environmentally preferable under the guidelines. At a minimum, the guidelines shall include the

32

United States Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) Program,

33

the EcoLogo program administered by TerraChoice, Green Seal as avenues, as well as alternative

34

means of qualification, such as: a submission of testing by an accredited third party verifying that

 

LC001267 - Page 2 of 5

1

the product meets the criteria of one of the recognized standards and others as determined

2

appropriate by the department of elementary and secondary education.

3

     (b) The guidelines and specifications established under this section shall not prohibit the

4

use of disinfectants, disinfecting cleaners, sanitizers, or any other antimicrobial product regulated

5

by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.), when necessary

6

to protect public health; provided, that the use of these products is in accordance with responsible

7

cleaning procedures requirements. The guidelines and specifications may stipulate

8

environmentally preferable requirements preferability (including, but not limited to, the use of

9

third-party certifications of environmental preferability) to be made in reference to such products.

10

     (c) The guidelines and specifications established under this section shall permit the use of

11

products outside the scope of the guidelines developed under this section, and those products

12

otherwise excluded from the environmental standards established by any of the generally

13

recognized third-party entities listed in the guidelines developed herein.

14

     (d) Guidelines and specifications must be established after a review and evaluation of

15

existing research and must be completed no later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the

16

effective date of this chapter. Guidelines and specifications should include implementation

17

practices, including inspection and evaluation. The completed guidelines and specifications must

18

be posted on the department of elementary and secondary education website.

19

     16-21.6-5. Use of environmentally preferable cleaning supplies. – No later than ninety

20

(90) days after implementation of the guidelines and specifications established under § 16-21.6-4

21

herein, all elementary and secondary schools shall establish a sustainable cleaning policy and

22

exclusively purchase and use environmentally preferable cleaning products, equipment and paper

23

pursuant to said guidelines and specifications; provided, however, that schools shall not dispose

24

of existing products, equipment or paper, but rather shall be permitted to deplete existing supplies

25

and implement the new requirements in the procurement cycle for the following year.

26

     16-21.6-6. Dissemination. – (a) Within thirty (30) days of the completion of the

27

guidelines and specifications pursuant to § 16-21.6-4, the department of elementary and

28

secondary education shall determine and implement a method for disseminating to each

29

elementary and secondary school in the state, a copy of said guidelines and specifications. The

30

department of elementary and secondary education shall maintain a website that promotes the use

31

of environmentally preferable cleaning and maintenance programs, which provides information

32

on how procurement officials and others can determine which cleaning products, paper and/or

33

equipment meet the criteria for environmental preferability, and that will include best practices

34

for covered schools regarding environmentally preferable cleaning and maintenance products.

 

LC001267 - Page 3 of 5

1

Said website should contain prominent language stating that the guidelines do not apply to

2

products excluded under §§ 16-21.6-4(b) and (c). The department of elementary and secondary

3

education shall also provide on-going assistance to schools to carry out the requirements of this

4

chapter.

5

     (b) In the event that the guidelines and specifications under § 16-21.6-4 are updated by

6

the department of elementary and secondary education, the department shall provide a copy of

7

updates to each school and shall post all updated materials on its website.

8

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC001267

========

 

LC001267 - Page 4 of 5

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS

***

1

     This act would require the use of environmentally preferable cleaning supplies in all

2

elementary and secondary schools. The state department of elementary and secondary education

3

would be placed in charge of implementation.

4

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC001267

========

 

LC001267 - Page 5 of 5