Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2520 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2890 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2520
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	David M. Rogers and Steven Owens
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to improving asthma in schools.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David M. Rogers24th Middlesex1/16/2025Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/16/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth1/22/2025 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2890 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2520
18	18	By Representatives Rogers of Cambridge and Owens of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 2520) of David M. Rogers, Steven Owens and Patrick Joseph Kearney relative
20	20	to improving environmental conditions to reduce asthma in schools. Public Health.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 2258 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to improving asthma in schools.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby
32	32	2amended by inserting after section 5S the following section:-
33	33	3 Section 5T. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context
34	34	4clearly indicates otherwise, have the following meanings:-
35	35	5 “Cleaning product”, a product intended for use for routine cleaning, including but not
36	36	6limited to general purpose and all-purpose cleaners, glass, carpet, and bathroom cleaners,
37	37	7appliance cleaners, and floor and carpet care products (cleaner, finisher, polisher, and stripper);
38	38	8but shall not apply to disinfectants or sanitizers regulated by the United States Environmental
39	39	9Protection Agency under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act 7 U.S.C. 2 of 5
40	40	10section 136 et seq. or as required by other federal or state regulations or antimicrobial hand soaps
41	41	11regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
42	42	12 "Department", department of public health.
43	43	13 “Environmentally preferable products and services”, cleaning products or services that
44	44	14perform effectively and have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment
45	45	15when compared to competing products or services that serve the same purpose.
46	46	16 “Environmentally preferable purchasing criteria”, standards for evaluating products that
47	47	17have been established by reputable third-party certifying organizations as specified by the
48	48	18operational services division in the commonwealth’s statewide contract for environmentally
49	49	19preferable cleaning products, programs, equipment, and supplies. The department shall rely on
50	50	20multiple third-party certifying organizations, including, at a minimum, the United States
51	51	21Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment (DfE) program, the United
52	52	22States Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice program, EcoLogo, and GreenSeal.
53	53	23 "HEPA vacuums", a high-efficiency particulate air filter vacuuming device.
54	54	24 “Public school”, an elementary, secondary, high, charter or innovation school operated by
55	55	25a public school district or board of trustees pursuant to chapter 71.
56	56	26 (b) (1) The department shall recommend a public school with a pediatric asthma
57	57	27prevalence of 20 per cent or higher, or the highest quartile of pediatric asthma prevalence, to
58	58	28develop an indoor air quality management plan that describes the measures to be taken to
59	59	29provide good and improved indoor air quality to reduce the levels of indoor air pollutants
60	60	30through preventive measures to promote a comfortable and healthy learning and working 3 of 5
61	61	31environment; plan objectives may include, but are not limited to: (i) routine maintenance
62	62	32activities; (ii) periodic building evaluations and inspections; (iii) maintenance of adequate air
63	63	33exchanges by repairing and maintaining ventilation equipment; and (iv) effectively
64	64	34communicating corrective steps to all interested parties. Any indoor air quality management plan
65	65	35shall include the use of HEPA vacuums which shall be specified in any cleaning contract entered
66	66	36into by a public school for the purposes of implementing the air quality management plan.
67	67	37 (2) A public school under this subsection shall be recommended to create an
68	68	38environmental health committee that shall consist of the school superintendent or designee,
69	69	39school superintendent assistant or designee, the facilities or custodial director or designee, the
70	70	40indoor integrated pest management coordinator or designee, a school nurse, a teacher, and a
71	71	41parent; provided that the committee may consist of other health professionals, local government
72	72	42agencies, community organizations, asthma coalitions, and others as appropriate in the
73	73	43assessment of current conditions and operations and in the development of strategies to improve
74	74	44indoor asthma triggers in schools and to protect the health of students, faculty, and staff. The
75	75	45committee shall be trained with expertise to assess current school building conditions and
76	76	46operations. The committee shall develop an indoor air quality management plan to improve
77	77	47indoor asthma triggers in schools and to protect the health of students, faculty, and staff. The
78	78	48committee shall sponsor activities to engage the school and community to raise awareness of the
79	79	49importance of asthma and environmental triggers. The committee may secure financial assistance
80	80	50through grants or other revenue sources to address environmental concerns. The department shall
81	81	51develop a school indoor air quality training program to educate the committee members on how
82	82	52to identify problems, develop methods to improve indoor air quality, and implement an indoor
83	83	53air quality management plan. The objectives of any air quality management plan developed by 4 of 5
84	84	54the committee may include but are not limited to (i) routine maintenance activities; (ii) periodic
85	85	55building evaluations and inspections; (iii) maintenance of adequate air exchanges by repairing
86	86	56and maintaining ventilation equipment; and (iv) effectively communicating corrective steps to all
87	87	57interested parties. Any indoor air quality management plan developed by the committee shall
88	88	58include the use of HEPA vacuums which shall be specified in any cleaning contract entered into
89	89	59by a public school for the purposes of implementing the air quality management plan.
90	90	60 (c) (1) Beginning September 1, 2024, cleaning products shall not be used in any public
91	91	61school unless the cleaning product meets environmentally preferable purchasing criteria. A
92	92	62public school may purchase environmentally preferable products and services through statewide
93	93	63contract vendors or through outside vendors; provided that such vendor meets environmentally
94	94	64preferable purchasing criteria.
95	95	65 (2) A public school under this subsection shall report environmentally preferable cleaning
96	96	66products and services purchased to the department, including but not limited to vendor,
97	97	67manufacturer name, and product name.
98	98	68 (3) An individual who attends or works in a public school who experiences adverse
99	99	69health effects from allergic or hypersensitivity reaction from exposure to the environmentally
100	100	70preferable products and services in use pursuant to this section may request, and the facility may
101	101	71utilize, other suitable materials as determined by the individual and provided by the facility. The
102	102	72request shall be placed in writing and a copy shall be sent to the commissioner.
103	103	73 (4) The department shall recommend a public school with a pediatric asthma prevalence
104	104	74of 20 per cent or higher, or the highest quartile of pediatric asthma prevalence, to purchase 5 of 5
105	105	75environmentally preferable cleaning products and services that are approved by the United States
106	106	76Environmental Protection Agency.
107	107	77 (d) The superintendent or designee, facilities/custodial director or designee, indoor
108	108	78integrated pest management coordinator or designee, and janitorial staff shall be trained in the
109	109	79use of environmentally preferable products and services prior to implementation of this section
110	110	80in a public school. Vendors of environmentally preferable products and services that are not
111	111	81contracted with the state but are purchased by a public school shall have trained staff and
112	112	82necessary tools for such training.