Bill Text: CA SB334 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Pupil health: drinking water.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2016-04-25 - Last day to consider Governors veto pursuant to Joint Rule 58.5. [SB334 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SB334-Enrolled.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 334 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 28, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 17, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 16, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 9, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 3, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 20, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Senator Leyva
(Coauthors: Senators Leno and Pavley)
FEBRUARY 23, 2015
An act to amend Sections 32242 and 38086 of, to add Sections
32241.5, 32246, and 32249 to, and to add Article 13 (commencing with
Section 49580) to Chapter 9 of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of,
the Education Code, relating to pupil health.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 334, Leyva. Pupil health: drinking water.
(1) Existing law requires a school district to provide access to
free, fresh drinking water during meal times in school food service
areas, unless the governing board of a school district adopts a
resolution stating that it is unable to comply with this requirement
and demonstrating the reasons why it is unable to comply due to
fiscal constraints or health and safety concerns. Existing law
requires the resolution to be publicly noticed on at least 2
consecutive meeting agendas and approved by at least a majority of
the governing board of the school district.
This bill would delete the provision authorizing a school district
to adopt a resolution stating that it is unable to provide access to
free, fresh drinking water during meal times. The bill would instead
specify that a school district shall provide access to free, fresh,
and clean drinking water during meal times through the use of
drinking water access points, as defined. By imposing additional
duties on school districts, this bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
This bill would require a school district that has drinking water
sources with drinking water that does not meet the United States
Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards for lead or
any other contaminant to close access to those drinking water
sources, to provide alternative drinking water sources, as specified,
and to notify specified persons if the school district is required
to provide those alternative drinking water sources. By imposing
additional duties on pupil schools and school districts, this bill
would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) Under existing law, known as the Lead-Safe Schools Protection
Act, the State Department of Public Health is required to perform
various activities related to reducing the risk of exposure to lead
hazards in public schools, including, among other activities, working
with the State Department of Education to develop voluntary
guidelines to ensure that lead hazards are minimized in the course of
school repair and maintenance programs and abatement procedures.
This bill would repeal the requirement that the State Department
of Public Health develop voluntary guidelines. The bill would instead
require the State Department of Education to make information
available to school districts about the United States Environmental
Protection Agency's technical guidance for reducing lead in drinking
water in schools. The bill would prohibit drinking water that does
not meet the United States Environmental Protection Agency drinking
water standards for lead from being provided at a school facility.
The bill would require a public school that has lead-containing
plumbing components to flush all drinking water sources at the
beginning of each schoolday, except as provided. By imposing
additional duties on public schools and school districts, this bill
would impose a state-mandated local program.
(3) 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 these
statutory provisions.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 32241.5 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
32241.5. The department shall make information available to
school districts, by posting on its Internet Web site or through any
other means for distributing information it deems effective, about
the United States Environmental Protection Agency's technical
guidance for reducing lead in drinking water in schools.
SEC. 2. Section 32242 of the Education Code is amended to read:
32242. The State Department of Public Health shall do all of the
following:
(a) Design and implement a strategy for identifying the
characteristics of high-risk schools and provide a basis for
statewide estimates of the presence of lead in schools attended by
young children.
(b) Conduct a sample survey, as described in Section 32241, to
determine the likely extent and distribution of lead exposure to
children from paint on the school, soil in play areas at the school,
drinking water at the tap, and other potential sources identified by
the State Department of Public Health for this purpose. To the
maximum extent possible, limited sample testing shall be used to
validate survey results. The State Department of Public Health shall
compile and summarize the results of that survey and report those
results to the Legislature and the department.
(c) Within 60 days of the completion of testing a schoolsite, the
State Department of Public Health shall notify the principal of the
school or director of the schoolsite of the survey results. Within 45
days of receiving the survey results, the principal or director, as
the case may be, shall notify the teachers and other school personnel
and parents of the survey results.
(d) Make recommendations to the Legislature and the department,
based on the survey results and consideration of appropriate federal
and state standards, on the feasibility and necessity of conducting
statewide lead testing and any additional action needed relating to
lead contamination in the schools.
(e) As deemed necessary and appropriate in view of the survey
results, develop environmental lead testing methods and standards to
ensure the scientific integrity of results, for use by schools and
contractors designated by schools for that purpose.
(f) Evaluate the most current cost-effective lead abatement
technologies.
SEC. 3. Section 32246 is added to the Education Code, to read:
32246. Drinking water that does not meet the United States
Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards for lead
shall not be provided at a school facility.
SEC. 4. Section 32249 is added to the Education Code, to read:
32249. A school that has lead-containing plumbing components
shall flush all drinking water sources at the beginning of each
schoolday, consistent with protocols recommended by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency. A school is not required to flush
drinking water sources that have been shut off or have been certified
as meeting the United States Environmental Protection Agency's
drinking water standards for lead.
SEC. 5. Section 38086 of the Education Code is amended to read:
38086. (a) A school district shall provide access to free, fresh,
and clean drinking water during meal times in the food service areas
of the schools under its jurisdiction, including, but not
necessarily limited to, areas where reimbursable meals under the
federal National School Lunch Program or the federal School Breakfast
Program are served or consumed. A school district may comply with
this section by, among other means, providing cups and containers of
water or soliciting or receiving donated bottled water.
(b) A school district shall comply with this section through the
use of drinking water access points.
(c) For purposes of this section, "drinking water access point" is
defined as a station, plumbed or unplumbed, where pupils can access
free, fresh, and clean drinking water. An unplumbed access point may
include water bottles and portable water dispensers.
SEC. 6. Article 13 (commencing with Section 49580) is added to
Chapter 9 of Part 27 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code,
to read:
Article 13. Drinking Water
49580. (a) A school district that has drinking water sources with
drinking water that does not meet the United States Environmental
Protection Agency drinking water standards for lead or any other
contaminant shall close access to those drinking water sources
immediately upon receipt of test results or notification from the
public water system.
(b) (1) If, as a result of closing access to a drinking water
source pursuant to subdivision (a), a schoolsite within a school
district no longer has the minimum number of drinking fountains
required pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 401.0) of the
California Plumbing Code (Part 5 of Title 24 of the California Code
of Regulations), the school district shall provide alternative
drinking water sources at that schoolsite.
(2) An alternative drinking water source provided pursuant to this
subdivision while the source of contamination is being mitigated may
be from plumbed or unplumbed sources. Unplumbed sources may include,
but are not limited to, portable water sources and bottled water.
(c) A school district shall notify parents or legal guardians,
pupils, teachers, and other school personnel of drinking water test
results, immediately upon receipt of those test results, if the
school district is required to provide alternative drinking water
sources.
SEC. 7. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.
