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Committee releases bill to study indoor air quality in public schools; sponsor adds Department of Health as co-lead
Summary
Senate committee released S1033 to direct DEP to study indoor air contaminants in public schools; Sierra Club witness urged the Department of Health be the lead agency, a change the sponsor agreed to and the committee adopted before a unanimous release vote.
Chairman Smith opened the hearing and the committee took up S1033, a bill introduced by Senator Greenstein to require the Department of Environmental Protection to study indoor air quality at public schools and to produce guidance on mitigation measures.
Angelie Ramos, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, praised the bill's intent but told the committee that "the department doesn't have jurisdiction over indoor air quality" and recommended making the Department of Health the lead agency with DEP and the Department of Education as partners. The sponsor and staff agreed that adding the Department of Health as a co-lead was straightforward to draft. In response, the chair proposed and the sponsor supported an amendment to add the Department of Health.
After brief discussion the committee moved to release the bill with the amendment. Senator Tybur, Senator McKeon, Senator Greenstein and Chairman Smith recorded "yes" votes and the motion passed unanimously. The bill will leave committee with committee amendments and be available for further legislative steps.
The committee did not set a final implementation date in the hearing; staff indicated drafting of the technical amendment would follow and be attached to the released bill.
