Bill Text: CA AB1454 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: School facilities: heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-21 - Introduced. To print. [AB1454 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB1454-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1454
| Introduced by Assembly Member Rivas |
February 21, 2025 |
An act to amend Section 17661 of the Education Code, relating to school facilities.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1454, as introduced, Rivas.
School facilities: heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.
Existing law requires a covered school, defined as a school district, a county office of education, a charter school, a private school, the California Community Colleges, or the California State University, and requests the University of California, to ensure that facilities have heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems that meet specified minimum ventilation rate requirements, unless the existing HVAC system is not capable of safely and efficiently providing the minimum ventilation rate, in which case its HVAC system meets the minimum ventilation rates in effect at the time the building permit for installation of that HVAC system was issued. Existing law also requires a covered school, and requests the University of California, to install filtration that achieves specified minimum efficiency reporting values (MERV) levels, determined by the school to be feasible with the
existing HVAC system, as provided.
This bill would require each school district, county office of education, and charter school to submit an annual inventory of their HVAC systems to the State Department of Education, including a description of any modifications made pursuant to the above-described provisions. By imposing new duties on local educational agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 17661 of the Education Code is amended to read:17661.
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1) “Covered school” means a school district, a county office of education, a charter school, a private school, the California Community Colleges, or the California State University.
(2) “HVAC” means heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. air-conditioning.
(3) “MERV” means minimum efficiency reporting values.
(b) (1) A covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, ensure that facilities, including, but not limited to, classrooms for students, have HVAC systems that meet the minimum ventilation rate requirements set forth in Table 120.1-A of Part 6 (commencing with Section 100.0) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, unless the existing HVAC system is not capable of safely and efficiently providing the minimum ventilation rate.
(2) If a school’s existing HVAC system is not capable of safely and efficiently providing the minimum ventilation rate required pursuant to paragraph (1), then a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, ensure that its HVAC system meets the minimum ventilation rates in effect at the time the building permit for installation of that HVAC system was issued. In addition, the covered school shall, and the University of
California is requested to, document the HVAC system’s inability to meet the current ventilation standards set forth in paragraph (1) in the annual HVAC inspection report required by Section 5142 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, which shall be available to the public upon request.
(c) (1) Subject to paragraph (2), a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, install filtration that achieves MERV levels of 13 or higher to the extent determined to be feasible and appropriate for the existing HVAC system, as determined by the school.
(2) If, pursuant to paragraph (1), it is determined that the existing HVAC system is not designed to achieve MERV levels of 13 or higher, a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, install filtration that achieves the highest MERV level that the school
determines is feasible without significantly reducing the lifespan or performance of the existing HVAC system.
(d) Each school district, county office of education, and charter school shall submit an annual inventory of their HVAC systems to the department, including a description of any modifications made pursuant to this section.
(d)
(e) Upon the next triennial update of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), the California Building Standards Commission
and the Division of the State Architect shall research, develop, and propose for adoption mandatory standards for carbon dioxide monitors in classrooms of a covered school and the University of California.
(e)
(f) This section shall apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by resolution, make it applicable.
