BILL ANALYSIS


                                                    C.S.H.B. 2850
                                           By: Naishtat (Sponsor)
                                        Health and Human Services
                                                          5-24-95
                            Senate Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND

Current Texas law provides no standards for indoor air quality in
public buildings, including public schools.

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.H.B. 2850 requires the Texas Board of Health to
establish voluntary guidelines for indoor air quality in public
schools and sets forth criteria for establishing those guidelines.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is granted
to the Texas Board of Health under SECTION 1 (Section 385.002(a),
Health and Safety Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Title 5C, Health and Safety Code, by adding
Chapter 385, as follows:

  CHAPTER 385.  INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN SCHOOL DISTRICT BUILDINGS

     Sec. 385.001.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines "air contaminant,"
     "board," "indoor air pollution," and "public school."
     
     Sec. 385.002.  POWERS AND DUTIES OF BOARD.  (a) Requires the
     Texas Board of Health (board), by rule, to establish voluntary
     guidelines for indoor air quality in public schools. 
     Authorizes the board to adopt other rules as necessary to
     implement this chapter.
     
     (b) Requires the board to make certain considerations in
       establishing the guidelines.
       
       (c) Authorizes guidelines adopted under this chapter to
       include a containment concentration, a control method, a
       sampling method, a ventilation rate, design, or procedure,
       or a similar recommendation.
       
       (d) Authorizes the board's guidelines to differ for
       different pollution sources or different areas of the state.
       
       Sec. 385.003.  LIABILITY AND IMMUNITY.  Provides that this
     chapter does not create a liability for a school board for an
     injury caused by the failure to comply with the voluntary
     guidelines established under Section 385.002.
     
     SECTION 2.     Effective date: September 1, 1995.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.