BILL NUMBER: AB 1959	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Williams

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2012

   An act to add Section 18941.10 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to building standards.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1959, as introduced, Williams. Building standards: green
building standards: toxic air contaminants.
   The California Building Standards Law provides for the adoption of
building standards by state agencies by requiring all state agencies
that adopt or propose adoption of any building standard to submit
the building standard to the California Building Standards Commission
for approval and adoption. In the absence of a designated state
agency, the commission is required to adopt specific building
standards, as prescribed. Existing law requires the commission to
publish, or cause to be published, editions of the code in its
entirety once every 3 years.
   This bill would require the commission, as a part of the next
triennial edition of the California Green Building Standards Code
adopted after January 1, 2013, to consider adopting building
standards for toxic air contaminants as a part of the mandatory
minimum building standards.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) Toxins in the built environment cause serious health problems,
including cancer, premature death, asthma, and other respiratory
disease.
   (b) Infants and children may be more susceptible to indoor air
pollutants in comparison to the general population and are
additionally likely to be disproportionately exposed more often to
indoor pollutants in comparison to the general population.
   (c) Sources of pollutants include all of the following:
   (1) Volatile organic compounds used in fumigants or formaldehyde
in furniture.
   (2) Metals such as lead and mercury.
   (3) Semivolatile organic compounds, such as carbon bonded to
bromine, chlorine, fluorine used in flame retardants and stain
repellents.
   (4) Endocrine disruptors such as phthalates and BPA used as
softeners in plastics, cash register receipts, and air fresheners.
   (5) Environmental tobacco smoke.
   (d) Sources of pollutants in the built environment are numerous,
and because people spend most of their time indoors, the risk from
indoor air pollution is substantial. Californians, like others in
industrialized nations, average about 87 percent of their time
indoors. Indoor emissions are partially trapped inside buildings, and
people's activities put them very near indoor sources. Consequently,
some scientists estimate that pollutants emitted indoors are about
1,000 times more likely to be inhaled than comparable outdoor
emissions.
   (e) Indoor pollution is estimated to cost California's economy
more then forty five billion dollars ($45,000,000,000) each year due
to premature deaths, medical costs, lost worker productivity, and
related impacts. The total cost is likely much higher, because the
total health impacts are not known.
   (f) Therefore, toxins in the built environment should be reduced.
  SEC. 2.  Section 18941.10 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
to read:
   18941.10.  (a) As used in this section, "toxic air contaminants"
has the same meaning as defined in Section 39655.
   (b) As a part of the next triennial edition of the California
Green Building Standards Code (Chapter 11 (commencing with Section
101) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) adopted after
January 1, 2013, the commission shall consider adopting building
standards for toxic air contaminants as a part of the mandatory
minimum building standards.