BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 56
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 56 (Weber)
As Amended September 3, 2013
Majority vote
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(May 29, 2013) |SENATE: |39-0 |(September 9, |
| | | | | |2013) |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Original Committee Reference: ED.
SUMMARY : Requires, by July 1, 2015, the State Fire Marshal to
propose for adoption by the California Building Standards
Commission, for the commission's next triennial code adoption
cycle, appropriate standards for the installation of carbon
monoxide devices in school buildings. Specifically, this bill :
1)Specifies that "fossil fuel" has the same meaning as defined
in Health and Safety Code Section 13262.
2)Requires the proposed building standards to require carbon
monoxide devices to be installed in public and private school
buildings that meet all of the following criteria:
a) The building is constructed pursuant to the 2016
California Building Standards Code (CBSC) (Title 24 of the
California Code of Regulations), or any amendments to the
CBSC which follow.
b) The school building is used for educational purposes for
kindergarten or any grades 1 to 12.
c) A fossil fuel burning furnace is located inside the
school building.
3)Encourages a private or public school that uses a school
building for educational purposes for kindergarten through
grade 12 that was built before the adoption of the 2016 CBSC,
and that has a fossil fuel burning furnace located inside the
school building to have a carbon monoxide device installed in
the building.
4)Makes a number of findings and declarations regarding the
dangers of carbon monoxide and the importance of carbon
AB 56
Page 2
monoxide detectors, including the following:
a) The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) estimates that each year more than 400 Americans die,
more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than
4,000 are hospitalized from unintentional carbon monoxide
poisoning.
b) The State Air Resources Board estimates that every year
carbon monoxide accounts for between 30 to 40 avoidable
deaths, possibly thousands of avoidable illnesses, and
between 175 and 700 avoidable emergency room and hospital
visits.
c) Carbon monoxide devices provide a vital, highly
effective and low-cost protection against carbon monoxide
poisoning and these devices should be made available to
every school in California.
The Senate amendments :
1)Strike the provision requiring a private or public school
building that is built on or after January 1, 2014, and that
has a fossil fuel burning furnace located inside the school
building to have a carbon monoxide device installed in that
building and instead require the State Fire Marshal to propose
regulatory changes in the CBSC that require the installation
of carbon monoxide devices in private and public school
buildings constructed after the adoption of the 2016 CBSC.
2)Strike the provision requiring a carbon monoxide device to be
installed in close proximity to each furnace located within
the public or private school building so that the device can
accurately detect the leakage of carbon monoxide.
3)Strike the provision authorizing the Office of Public School
Construction to adopt rules and regulations deemed necessary
to implement the provisions of this bill.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, likely minor, but potentially significant bond
pressure to install a carbon monoxide device in each building of
a school that contains a fossil fuel burning furnace. Minor
costs and workload for the State Fire Marshal to develop
implementation standards for adoption by the CBSC during its
AB 56
Page 3
next regular triennial standards adoption cycle.
COMMENTS : Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can
cause illness and fatality. It is produced when burning
gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil and wood and is commonly
referred to as a "silent killer." A leak can result from a
number of sources, including any malfunctioning fuel-burning
appliance such as a furnace or a water heater, or from cars left
running in an enclosed area, such as an attached garage.
According to the CDC, exposure to carbon monoxide can cause loss
of consciousness and even death. The most common symptoms of
carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness,
nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. The CDC reports
that over 400 people die every year due to accidental carbon
monoxide poisoning.
California requires homeowners to have a carbon monoxide device
that is approved by the State Fire Marshal installed in dwelling
units with a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace,
or an attached garage. Hotels and motels are required to have
the devices by January 1, 2016, after the Department of Housing
and Community Development develops standards for installation of
the devices. According to the National Conference of State
Legislatures, 25 states have laws that require carbon monoxide
detectors in residential buildings. One state requires
detectors in certain day-care centers, group day-care home, and
family homes, while only two states, Connecticut and Maryland,
require installation of carbon monoxide detectors in schools.
This bill requires the State Fire Marshal to include the
installation of a carbon monoxide device in private and public
schools in the next triennial adoption of regulatory changes to
the Title 24 CBSC. Upon adoption of the regulatory changes, all
public and private school buildings used for kindergarten to
grade 12 pupils that have fossil fuel burning furnaces built
after the adoption of the 2016 code will be required to install
a carbon monoxide detector in that building. Public and private
school buildings built prior to the adoption of the 2016 CBSC
are encouraged to install a carbon monoxide device.
The author states that carbon monoxide "alarms cost between $20
to $50 at retail stores. These devices provide a vital, highly
effective, and low-cost protection against carbon monoxide
poisoning and should be made available to every school in
California to prevent students from CO [carbon monoxide]
AB 56
Page 4
exposure."
According to the author's office, this bill was introduced
following reports of a carbon monoxide leak at Finch Elementary
School in Atlanta, Georgia on December 3, 2012. Forty-two
students and up to 10 adults were taken to the hospital.
Investigators believe a boiler might have been the cause of the
leak. A bill has since been introduced in Georgia requiring all
public and private elementary and secondary schools to have
carbon monoxide detectors and warning equipment by July 1, 2013.
The bill did not pass this legislative session but may continue
through the legislative process next January.
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0002285