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Senate Rejects ASHRAE-Based Indoor‑Air Plan; Smoking‑restriction Bill Advances with Amendments
Summary
The Senate voted down substitute SB 64, which would have relied on ASHRAE ventilation standards, and continued floor consideration of House Bill 50, a public indoor smoking‑restrictions bill. Senators debated technical ventilation standards versus outright restrictions and passed a floor amendment changing how civil-fine revenue is handled.
An ASHRAE-based indoor-air approach (substitute Senate Bill 64) failed on the Senate floor on Feb. 25 after extended debate over whether ventilation standards protect public health. Senator Richards and supporters argued ASHRAE ventilation could achieve accommodation between smokers and nonsmokers when systems meet the standard; opponents, including Senator Montgomery, insisted ASHRAE addresses comfort but does not remove carcinogens and therefore is not a health standard.
Senator Montgomery said the ASHRAE approach does not remove toxic chemicals from smoke and urged rejection of SB 64 as a health standard. Floor debate included references to studies and to a Brownson report; Montgomery noted that experts told the committee the ASHRAE standard is not a health standard and that the Brownson author had cautioned against over‑extending the ventilation studies into public‑health claims.
After senators voted to proceed to final consideration, the clerk reported substitute SB 64 failed on a recorded vote (clerks read 9 yes, 19 no, 1 absence), and the measure was defeated. The Senate then turned to House Bill 50, a separate smoking‑restriction measure that the Business, Labor and Economic Development Committee had reported favorably with amendments. The Senate adopted at least one amendment affecting civil‑fine revenue: an amendment proposed by Senator Simpson that requires civil fines collected under HB 50 be paid to the county treasurer rather than retained directly by local health departments; the amendment passed on the floor.
Senate action left HB 50 pending with additional amendments to be considered when the body returned from recess.
What’s next: HB 50 remained on the floor with multiple amendments pending; SB 64 is defeated and will not move forward in this form.
