H.B. No. 2850 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the regulation of the indoor air quality of certain 1-3 school district buildings. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Health and Safety Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Chapter 385 to read as follows: 1-7 CHAPTER 385. INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN SCHOOL DISTRICT BUILDINGS 1-8 Sec. 385.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-9 (1) "Air contaminant" means a gaseous, liquid, or 1-10 solid substance or combination of substances that is in a form that 1-11 is transported by or in air and has the potential to be detrimental 1-12 to human health. 1-13 (2) "Board" means the Texas Board of Health. 1-14 (3) "Indoor air pollution" means the presence, in an 1-15 indoor environment, of one or more air contaminants in sufficient 1-16 concentration and of sufficient duration to be capable of causing 1-17 adverse effects to human health. 1-18 (4) "Public school" means a building owned by a public 1-19 school district or leased by a public school district for three 1-20 months or more that is used by the district for a purpose that 1-21 involves regular occupancy of the building by students. 1-22 Sec. 385.002. POWERS AND DUTIES OF BOARD. (a) The board by 1-23 rule shall establish voluntary guidelines for indoor air quality in 2-1 public schools, including guidelines for ventilation and indoor air 2-2 pollution control systems. The board may adopt other rules 2-3 necessary to implement this chapter. 2-4 (b) In establishing the guidelines, the board shall 2-5 consider: 2-6 (1) the potential chronic effects of air contaminants 2-7 on human health; 2-8 (2) the potential effects of insufficient ventilation 2-9 of the indoor environment on human health; 2-10 (3) the potential costs of health care for the 2-11 short-term and long-term effects on human health that may result 2-12 from exposure to indoor air contaminants; and 2-13 (4) the potential costs of compliance with a proposed 2-14 guideline. 2-15 (c) A guideline adopted under this chapter may include a 2-16 contaminant concentration, a control method, a sampling method, a 2-17 ventilation rate, design, or procedure, or a similar 2-18 recommendation. 2-19 (d) The board's guidelines may differ for different 2-20 pollution sources or different areas of the state. 2-21 Sec. 385.003. LIABILITY AND IMMUNITY. This chapter does not 2-22 create liability for a school board for an injury caused by the 2-23 failure to comply with the voluntary guidelines established under 2-24 Section 385.002. 2-25 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 3-1 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 3-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.