Bill Text: HI SB2036 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Toxic Mold Remediation; Task Force; Public Health

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-22 - (S) The committee on HTH deferred the measure. [SB2036 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-SB2036-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2036
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

Relating to toxic SUBSTANCES.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the problem of indoor air pollution has generated concern among scientific and public health communities around the world.  Adverse health effects on humans from fungi and toxic mold exposure can range from relatively minor symptoms, such as headache, sore throat, and fatigue, to more serious effects.  It is estimated that 500,000 deaths occur annually in the United States as a result of toxic mold exposure.

     Because fungi are ubiquitous in indoor environments, the control of fungi and toxic mold poses a special difficulty for homeowners, building owners, tenants, and public health officers.  Therefore, it is necessary for the State to promote a more thorough understanding of the options for addressing fungal contamination and toxic mold prevention and remediation within the context of a wide array of indoor air pollutants that are often inadequately understood.

     The legislature finds that by increasing awareness about indoor toxic mold and establishing prevention and remediation standards and guidelines, needless hazardous conditions that take the lives of thousands of persons every year and adversely affect the health and well-being of many more can be prevented.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish a toxic mold remediation task force to examine the potential hazards of toxic indoor mold and fungal contamination, and to recommend standards and guidelines for its prevention and remediation.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  There is established a toxic mold remediation task force that shall be placed within the department of health for administrative purposes.  The purpose of the toxic mold remediation task force shall be to examine the potential hazards of toxic indoor mold and fungal contamination, and to recommend standards and guidelines for its prevention and remediation.

     (b)  The toxic mold remediation task force shall examine the following areas as they relate to fungal and toxic mold contamination in indoor environments:

     (1)  Medical and public health;

     (2)  Evaluation and monitoring;

     (3)  Remediation and prevention;

     (4)  Licensing of mold investigators;

     (5)  Property owner disclosures and renters' rights;

     (6)  Educational materials;

     (7)  Hazard communication; and

     (8)  Any other area identified by the task force.

     (c)  The toxic mold remediation task force shall consist of thirteen members as follows:

     (1)  The director of health or the director's designee;

     (2)  The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources or the chairperson's designee;

     (3)  The director of labor and industrial relations or the director's designee;

     (4)  The senate president or the president's designee;

     (5)  The speaker of the house of representatives or the speaker's designee;

     (6)  Two representatives from the Hawaii occupational safety and health division of the department of labor and industrial relations;

     (7)  One representative of the real estate commission;

     (8)  Two representatives from the indoor air quality and mold remediation industry; and

     (9)  Three members of the public appointed by the governor.

     (d)  The members of the task force shall select a chairperson from among its members.

     The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the performance of their official duties.

     (e)  The toxic mold remediation task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2011, which shall address:

     (1)  The health effects of exposure to fungi and toxic mold;

     (2)  The practices for assessing fungal and toxic mold contamination, including the use of visual inspection, surface sampling, and air monitoring, and the proper analysis of environmental samples;

     (3)  To the extent feasible, the appropriateness of commercially available methods for identifying fungal and toxic mold contamination of building components including, but not limited to, walls, ventilation systems, and support beams;

     (4)  The options for preventing and remediating fungal and toxic mold contamination in indoor environments.  The findings are intended as a practical guide regarding options for building managers, homeowners, and members of the general public who may have concerns about fungal contamination in living and working environments;

     (5)  Recommendations on hazard communication for distinct subpopulations, including workers employed in high-risk occupations; and

     (6)  Standards and guidelines on fungal and toxic mold contamination affecting indoor environments.

     (f)  The toxic mold remediation task force shall cease to exist on June 30, 2011.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Toxic Mold Remediation; Task Force; Public Health

 

Description:

Establishes the toxic mold remediation task force to examine the potential hazards of toxic indoor mold and fungal contamination, and to recommend standards and guidelines for its prevention and remediation.

 

 

 

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