BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1959
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 9, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1959 (Williams) - As Amended: April 16, 2012
Policy Committee: Business and
Professions Vote: 8-1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) and the Building Standards Commission (BSC) to
consider adopting standards for indoor air pollutants in
residential buildings and in nonresidential buildings,
respectively, as part of the next triennial edition of the
California Green Buildings Standards Code.
FISCAL EFFECT
HCD indicates it lacks both staff and expertise to develop
building standards regarding indoor air pollutants. HCD would
require one position plus a consulting contract at an annual
General Fund cost of around $200,000 for at least a few years.
Costs to the BSC would be minor and absorbable.
COMMENTS
1)Background . The BSC was established in 1953 and is responsible
for administering California's building codes, including
adopting, approving, publishing, and implementing codes and
standards, including standards proposed by other state
agencies such as HCD. The BSC publishes the California
Building Standards Code every three years, and its
supplements, such as the CALGreen Code in intervening years.
2)Purpose . According to the author's office, "In a 2005 report
to the Legislature, ARB noted that indoor air pollution causes
significant health effects?The ARB concluded specifically that
there are a variety of effective approaches to addressing
indoor pollution, but source control, such as through emission
AB 1959
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limitations or use of alternative products or materials, is
the most effective approach for most indoor pollutants,
because emissions and harmful exposures are prevented.
"To date the, the BSC has done a good job in addressing
volatile organic chemicals and, in particular, fomaldehyde,
through their CALGreen standards? While the BSC is moving in
the right direction, AB 1959 requires that those agencies
responsible for proposing and adopting standards relating to
indoor air quality consider new standards for a broader range
of pollutants than are currently being addressed. This bill
requires that this work be done and standards to be feasible."
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081