HLS 12RS-301 ORIGINAL
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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE BILL NO. 803
BY REPRESENTATIVE ORTEGO
PUBLIC BLDGS/GROUNDS-ST: Requires the use of certain materials with low volatile
organic compound content in public buildings
AN ACT1
To enact Subpart D-2 of Part VII of Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes2
of 1950, to be comprised of R.S. 49:148.11 and 148.12, relative to public buildings;3
to provide for the use of certain low volatile organic compound products and4
materials in public buildings; to provide for definitions; to provide for the use of5
certain products and materials in public contracts; and to provide for related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. Subpart D-2 of Part VII of Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised8
Statutes of 1950, comprised of R.S. 49:148.11 and 148.12 is hereby enacted to read as9
follows: 10
SUBPART D-2. PUBLIC BUILDINGS-HEALTHY BUILDINGS ACT11
§148.11. Short title12
This Subpart shall be known and may be cited as the "Healthy Buildings13
Act".14
§148.12. Use of products and materials with low volatile organic compound content15
A. Any interior maintenance, renovation, or construction, either existing or16
new, relative to a public building shall use paints, wood finishes, floor coatings,17
sealers, shellacs, stains, carpeting, and adhesives which are determined to have low18
volatile organic compound content as provided in this Section.19 HLS 12RS-301 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 803
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B. For the purpose of this Section, "public building" shall mean any building,1
facility, or structure built, renovated, or maintained, that is or will be owned by the2
following, and for which the owner receives state funds:3
(1) A department or agency in the executive, judicial, or legislative branch4
of state government, including institutions of higher education, hospitals, and clinics.5
(2) A parish or city school board.6
C. The standards used for determining products and materials which have low7
volatile organic compound content shall be as follows:8
(1) For flat architectural paints, coatings, and primers applied to interior walls9
and ceilings, the volatile organic compound content shall be not more than fifty10
grams per liter.11
(2) For non-flat architectural paints, coatings, and primers applied to interior12
walls and ceilings, the volatile organic compound content shall be not more than one13
hundred fifty grams per liter.14
(3) For anti-corrosive and anti-rust paints applied to interior ferrous metal15
substrates, the volatile organic compound content shall be not more than two16
hundred fifty grams per liter.17
(4) For clear wood varnish finishes, the volatile organic compound content18
shall be not more than three hundred fifty grams per liter.19
(5) For clear wood lacquer finishes, the volatile organic compound content20
shall be not more than five hundred fifty grams per liter.21
(6) For floor coatings, the volatile organic compound content shall be not22
more than one hundred grams per liter.23
(7) For waterproofing sealers, the volatile organic compound content shall24
be not more than two hundred fifty grams per liter.25
(8) For sanding sealers, the volatile organic compound content shall be not26
more than two hundred seventy-five grams per liter.27
(9) For all other sealers, the volatile organic compound content shall be not28
more than two hundred grams per liter.29 HLS 12RS-301 ORIGINAL
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(10) For clear shellacs, the volatile organic compound content shall be not1
more than seven hundred thirty grams per liter.2
(11) For pigmented shellacs, the volatile organic compound content shall be3
not more than five hundred fifty grams per liter.4
(12) For stains, the volatile organic compound content shall be not more than5
two hundred fifty grams per liter.6
(13) For carpeting and carpet cushions, the volatile organic compound7
content shall meet the testing and product requirements of the Carpet and Rug8
Institute's Green Label Plus Program.9
(14) For carpet, carpet pad, subfloor, VCT and asphalt, drywall and panel,10
and cove base adhesives, the volatile organic compound content shall be not more11
than fifty grams per liter less water.12
(15) For wood flooring and structural glazing adhesives, the volatile organic13
compound content shall be not more than one hundred grams per liter less water.14
(16) For rubber floor adhesives, the volatile organic compound content shall15
be not more than sixty grams per liter less water.16
(17) For multipurpose construction adhesives, the volatile organic compound17
content shall be not more than seventy grams per liter less water.18
(18) For ceramic tile adhesives, the volatile organic compound content shall19
be not more than sixty-five grams per liter less water.20
(19) For substrate specific applications of metal to metal and wood, the21
volatile organic compound content shall be not more than thirty grams per liter less22
water.23
(20) For substrate specific applications of plastic foams and porous material,24
with the exception of wood, the volatile organic compound content shall be not more25
than fifty grams per liter less water.26
(21) For substrate specific applications of fiberglass, the volatile organic27
compound content shall be not more than eighty grams per liter less water.28 HLS 12RS-301 ORIGINAL
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(22) For specialty applications of PVC welding, the volatile organic1
compound content shall be not more than five hundred ten grams per liter less water.2
(23) For specialty applications of CPVC welding, the volatile organic3
compound content shall be not more than four hundred ninety grams per liter less4
water.5
(24) For specialty applications of ABS welding, the volatile organic6
compound content shall be not more than three hundred twenty-five grams per liter7
less water.8
(25) For specialty applications of plastic cement welding, special purpose9
contact adhesive and top and trim adhesive, the volatile organic compound content10
shall be not more than two hundred fifty grams per liter less water.11
(26) For specialty applications of adhesive primer for plastic, the volatile12
organic compound content shall be not more than five hundred fifty grams per liter13
less water.14
(27) For specialty applications of contact adhesive, the volatile organic15
compound content shall be not more than eighty grams per liter less water.16
(28) For specialty applications of structural wood member adhesive, the17
volatile organic compound content shall be not more than one hundred forty grams18
per liter less water.19
(29) For specialty applications of sheet applied rubber lining operations, the20
volatile organic compound content shall be not more than eight hundred fifty grams21
per liter less water.22
(30) For architectural sealants and nonporous sealant primers, the volatile23
organic compound content shall be not more than two hundred fifty grams per liter24
less water.25
(31) For other sealants, the volatile organic compound content shall be not26
more than four hundred twenty grams per liter less water.27
(32) For architectural porous sealant primers, the volatile organic compound28
content shall be not more than seven hundred seventy-five grams per liter less water.29 HLS 12RS-301 ORIGINAL
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(33) For other sealant primers, the volatile organic compound content shall1
be not more than seven hundred fifty grams per liter less water.2
D. The provisions of this Section shall also apply to any contracts for interior3
maintenance, renovations, or construction entered into under the laws governing4
public contracts in Chapter 10 of Title 38 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 19505
or the Louisiana Procurement Code in Chapter 17 of Title 39 of the Louisiana6
Revised Statutes of 1950.7
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Ortego HB No. 803
Abstract: Requires the use of certain materials with low volatile organic compound content
in the maintenance, renovation, or construction of public buildings.
Proposed law provides that any interior maintenance, renovation, or construction, either
existing or new, relative to a public building must use paints, wood finishes, floor coatings,
sealers, shellacs, stains, carpeting, and adhesives which are determined to have low volatile
organic compound content as provided for in proposed law.
Proposed law provides that "public building" is any building, facility, or structure built,
renovated, or maintained that is or will be owned by the following, and for which the owner
receives state funds:
(1) A department or agency in the executive, judicial, or legislative branch of state
government, including institutions of higher education, hospitals, and clinics.
(2) A parish or city school board.
Proposed law provides that the standards used for determining materials which have low
volatile organic compound content are as follows:
(1) Flat architectural paints, coatings, and primers applied to interior walls and ceilings -
50 grams per liter.
(2) Non-flat architectural paints, coatings, and primers applied to interior walls and
ceilings - 150 grams per liter.
(3) Anti-corrosive and anti-rust paints applied to interior ferrous metal substrates -250
grams per liter.
(4) Clear wood varnish finishes - 350 grams per liter.
(5) Clear wood lacquer finishes - 550 grams per liter.
(6) Floor coatings - 100 grams per liter. HLS 12RS-301 ORIGINAL
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(7) Waterproofing sealers - 250 grams per liter.
(8) Sanding sealers - 275 grams per liter.
(9) All other sealers - 200 grams per liter.
(10) Clear shellacs - 730 grams per liter.
(11) Pigmented shellacs - 550 grams per liter.
(12) Stains - 250 grams per liter.
(13) Carpeting and carpet cushions - meet the testing and product requirements of the
Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus Program.
(14) Carpet, carpet pad, subfloor, VCT and asphalt, drywall and panel, and cove base
adhesives - 50 grams per liter less water.
(15) Wood flooring and structural glazing adhesives - 100 grams per liter less water.
(16) Rubber floor adhesives - 60 grams per liter less water.
(17) Multipurpose construction adhesives - 70 grams per liter less water.
(18) Ceramic tile adhesives - 65 grams per liter less water.
(19) Substrate specific applications of metal to metal and wood - 30 grams per liter less
water.
(20) Substrate specific applications of plastic foams and porous material, with the
exception of wood - 50 grams per liter less water.
(21) Substrate specific applications of fiberglass - 80 grams per liter less water.
(22) Specialty applications of PVC welding - 510 grams per liter less water.
(23) Specialty applications of CPVC welding - 490 grams per liter less water.
(24) For specialty applications of ABS welding - 325 grams per liter less water.
(25) Specialty applications of plastic cement welding, special purpose contact adhesive
and top and trim adhesive - 250 grams per liter less water.
(26) Specialty applications of adhesive primer for plastic - 550 grams per liter less water.
(27) Specialty applications of contact adhesive - 80 grams per liter less water.
(28) Specialty applications of structural wood member adhesive - 140 grams per liter less
water.
(29) Specialty applications of sheet applied rubber lining operations - 850 grams per liter
less water.
(30) Architectural sealants and nonporous sealant primers - 250 grams per liter less water. HLS 12RS-301 ORIGINAL
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(31) Other sealants - 420 grams per liter less water.
(32) Architectural porous sealant primers - 775 grams per liter less water.
(33) Other sealant primers - 750 grams per liter less water.
Proposed law provides that the provisions of proposed law shall also apply to any contracts
for interior maintenance, renovations, or construction entered into under the laws governing
public contracts in Chapter 10 of Title 38 of the La. Revised Statutes of 1950 or the La.
Procurement Code in Chapter 17 of Title 39 of the La. Revised Statutes of 1950.
(Adds R.S. 49:148.11 and 148.12)