SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2660
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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SENATE, March 28, 2024.
The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petitions (accompanied by bill,
Senate, No. 271) of Ryan C. Fattman and Joseph D. McKenna for legislation relative to carbon
monoxide detectors in schools; and (accompanied by resolve, Senate, No. 322) of Patrick M.
O'Connor that provisions be made for an investigation and study by a special commission
(including members of the General Court) to study minimum and maximum allowable air
temperatures in public school classrooms and facilities, report the accompanying bill (Senate,
No. 2660).
For the committee,
Jason M. Lewis 1 of 2
FILED ON: 2/7/2024
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2660
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act relative to air quality in public schools.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. (a) There shall be an interagency task force to review and investigate indoor
2air quality in public school buildings that provide education for children in kindergarten through
3grade 12.
4 (b) The task force shall consist of the following 17 members or their designees: the
5commissioner of elementary and secondary education, who shall serve as co-chair; the
6commissioner of public health, who shall serve as co-chair; the executive director of the
7Massachusetts school building authority; the director of the department of labor standards; the
8commissioner of the department of environmental protection; the state fire marshal; 1 member
9appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 member appointed by the minority
10leader of the house of representatives; 1 member appointed by the senate president; 1 member
11appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 1 member appointed by the governor who is an
12expert in the field of environmental health and indoor air quality; and 1 member to be appointed
13by each of the following organizations: the Massachusetts Association of School Committees,
14Inc., the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Inc., the Massachusetts Teachers 2 of 2
15Association, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts the Massachusetts Coalition
16for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Massachusetts School Nurses Organization.
17 (c) The task force shall investigate indicators of indoor air quality in public school
18buildings and ways to ensure adequate indoor air quality in such school buildings, including but
19not limited to: (i) an assessment of carbon monoxide detection systems within each public school
20building and each school’s compliance with subsection (a½) of section 26F½ of chapter 148 of
21the General Laws; (ii) best practices for the placement and installation of carbon monoxide
22detection systems in public school buildings; (iii) the status of carbon dioxide levels in public
23school buildings according to data collected from existing carbon dioxide monitoring systems in
24public school buildings; (iv) the necessity and feasibility of installing carbon dioxide monitoring
25systems in all public school buildings and collecting data from such systems; (v) the temporary
26or ongoing use of equipment necessary to ensure adequate air filtration and ventilation within
27public school buildings; (vi) the regulation of minimum and maximum allowable air
28temperatures and relative humidity, as well as any relevant statistics on the number of air-
29conditioned public schools; (vii) an evaluation of the grants distributed pursuant to 1599-2055 of
30section 2A of chapter 102 of the acts of 2021; and (viii) the cost, including labor costs, of
31implementing any recommendations.
32 (d) Not later than October 1, 2025, the task force shall file a report on its findings,
33including any analysis, recommendations, or proposed legislation, with the clerks of the senate
34and house of representatives and the chairs of the joint committee on education.