BILL ANALYSIS
ACR 145
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 24, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
ACR 145 (Brownley) - As Introduced: March 15, 2010
SUBJECT : California Healthy Schools Day
SUMMARY : Recognizes April 26, 2010 as California Healthy
Schools Day. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes declarations as follows:
a) Over one-half of schools in the United States have
unhealthy indoor air quality, including classrooms in
California that have inadequate ventilation, high
formaldehyde concentrations, moisture and mold, and toxic
residues in dust;
b) Health effects of poor indoor environmental quality
include respiratory illnesses such as headaches, asthma,
fatigue and organ damages; and high rate of asthma-related
absences from school;
c) Hazardous ingredients in cleaning products contribute to
poor indoor air quality;
d) Less toxic and cost-competitive cleaning products that
do not contain ingredients known to cause cancer, asthma,
reproductive harm, aquatic toxicity, and other
environmental hazards are available;
e) Schools that have used less toxic cleaning products have
improved indoor air quality, reduced absenteeism, and lower
costs; and,
f) April 26, 2010 is National Healthy Schools Day,
sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA), the United States Department of Energy, and
more than 35 other organizations to celebrate and promote
healthy school environments for all children through the
use of the USEPA's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools
Program, focusing in the year 2010 on the use of less toxic
cleaning products.
ACR 145
Page 2
2)Resolves that the Legislature recognizes April 26, 2010 as
California Healthy Schools Day.
3)Resolves that schools are encouraged to take proactive and
preventative steps to create and maintain healthy school
environments, including training all staff on best maintenance
practices and developing and implementing self-assessments and
indoor environmental quality management plans.
4)Resolves that school districts are encouraged to consider
purchasing less toxic cleaning products.
5)Resolves that the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, the Secretary for Education, the Directors of the
State Department of Public Health, the State Air Resources
Board, the Department of General Services, and the California
Environmental Protection Agency; and the author for
appropriate distribution.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Expresses declarations and findings regarding the danger of
art supplies containing toxic substances.
2)Beginning with the 1987-88 school year, prohibits schools,
school districts or governing authority of a private school
from purchasing or ordering art or craft material that is
deemed by the State Department of Health Services to contain a
toxic substance or a toxic substance causing chronic illness,
for use by students in kindergarten through grade 6.
3)Beginning June 1, 1987, prohibits schools, school districts or
governing authority of a private school from purchasing or
ordering any substance that is deemed by the State Department
of Health Services to contain a toxic substance or a toxic
substance causing chronic illness, for use by students in
grades 7 through 12, unless it meets specified labeling
standards.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : According to the USEPA, one out of every three
cleaning products used in the United States contains ingredients
known to cause human health or environmental problems, including
ACR 145
Page 3
eye, skin, or respiratory irritation, asthma, cancer,
reproductive harm, smog production, global warming, water
pollution and aquatic toxicity. Concentrated forms of some
commercial cleaning projects are classified as hazardous,
creating potential handling, storage and disposal issues.
One of the most harmful effects of hazardous ingredients in
cleaning products is asthma. The California Department of
Public Health's Occupational Health Branch found that in
California, the rate of work-related asthma among janitors and
cleaners is nearly double the rate in the overall workforce.
The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found
that 12% of all work-related asthma is attributable to cleaning
products.
In California, nearly one million children have asthma. Asthma
is the leading cause of absenteeism from a chronic illness among
school children and is the primary cause of hospitalization for
children under the age of 15.
Schools across the country have switched to or are piloting the
use of less toxic or "green" cleaning products. Beginning in
2006 in the state of New York, and 2007 in the state of
Illinois, all public and private schools are required to use
environmentally-sensitive cleaning products.
In California, a number of districts, including San Francisco,
Los Angeles, Santa Cruz City Schools, Elk Grove, Fresno, Novato,
Oakland, Fairfield-Suisun, Hemet, Martinez, and the Caliente
Union School District are experimenting with or are using green
products.
State and local public agencies that have transitioned to green
cleaning products report that there is either little or no cost
increase between conventional cleaners and green certified
cleaners. Green cleaners come in concentrate. Automatic
dilution equipments provide the proper measurement of cleaning
solution. Many entities that use these products have been able
to eliminate duplicative and unnecessary products. According to
the Healthy Schools Network, Inc., a New York environmental
health organization, New York's Office of General Services'
Environmental Unit report that "the price point for conventional
and certified green products are virtually the same. Any
increase in the initial purchase of green products is more than
offset by the ease of use, reduction in number of products to
ACR 145
Page 4
buy, and the use of 'dilution stations' that control the actual
volume of chemical use automatically and effectively."
Sponsored by the USEPA, the United States Department of Energy
and other organizations, April 26, 2010 is designated as
National Healthy Schools Day to promote healthy school
environments for all children. ACR 145 recognizes April 26,
2010 as California Healthy Schools Day and encourages schools to
take proactive and preventative steps to create and maintain
healthy school environments, which includes the use of less
toxic cleaning products.
Arguments in Support . The Green Schools Initiative states, "We
want to protect the health of California's children, teachers,
and custodial staff while at school. By establishing California
Healthy Schools Day on April 26, 2010, ACR 145 will help to
raise the awareness of schools about the importance of good
Indoor Air Quality and how switching to less-toxic cleaning
products at schools will reduce exposure to chemicals of
concern."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California School Employees Association
Collaborative for High Performance Schools
Community Action to Fight Asthma
Environmental Working Group
Green Schools Initiative
Regional Asthma Management and Prevention
San Diego Regional Asthma Coalition
San Francisco Asthma Task Force
Solano Asthma Coalition
Sonoma County Asthma Coalition
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087