Bill Text: NJ A2773 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DOE to adopt green cleaning policy for schools and child care centers with 50 or more students.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A2773 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A2773-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOE to adopt green cleaning policy for schools and child care centers with 50 or more students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the use of environmentally sensitive cleaning products and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in sections 1 through 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Charter school" means a charter school established pursuant to P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-1 et seq.).
"Child care center" means a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.).
"Department" means the Department of Education.
"Environmentally sensitive cleaning product" means a cleaning or maintenance product that minimizes potential impacts to human health and the environment, consistent with maintaining the effectiveness of these products for the protection of the public health and safety.
"Private school" means a private school as defined in N.J.S.18A:1-1.
"Public school" means a public school as defined in N.J.S.18A:1-1.
"Sponsor" means the same as defined in section 3 of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-3).
2. a. Within 180 days after the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Department of Education shall establish a green cleaning policy for use in public, private and charter schools with 50 or more students, and child care centers with 50 or more students. This policy shall require the use of environmentally sensitive cleaning products, and shall establish guidelines and specifications for the purchase of environmentally sensitive cleaning products for use in schools with 50 or more students and child care centers with 50 or more students.
For the purposes of developing this policy and developing the guidelines and specifications for environmentally sensitive cleaning products, the Department of Education shall: (1) review and evaluate the Green Seal Environmental Standard for Industrial and Institutional Cleaners (GS-37), and the EcoLogo Program's environmental standards and certification criteria for cleaning products; (2) use, as appropriate, the Green Product compilation established by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive in the United States Environmental Protection Agency and established pursuant to Presidential Executive Order 13423 of 2007; and (3) consult with industry and other stakeholders.
The guidelines and specifications established pursuant to this subsection shall not prohibit the use of disinfectants, disinfecting cleaners, sanitizers, or any other antimicrobial product regulated under the "Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act," 7 U.S.C. s.136 et seq., when necessary to protect public health and provided that the use of these products is in accordance with responsible cleaning procedure requirements. The guidelines and specifications may stipulate environmentally preferable requirements for these products only at such time as the United States Environmental Protection Agency permits claims related to environmental preferability including, but not limited to, the use of third party certifications of environmental preferability, to be made in reference to such products.
b. The department shall disseminate this policy to the local school board of each public school district, the board of trustees of each charter school, the principal or chief administrator of each private school, and each sponsor of a child care center, and make the policy publicly available on the department's website.
The department shall provide on-going assistance to schools and child care centers for the implementation of the policy required by this section.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, the local school board of each public school district with 50 or more students, the board of trustees of each charter school with 50 or more students, and the principal or chief administrator of each private school with 50 or more students, respectively, shall procure and use environmentally sensitive cleaning products in the buildings of the school in accordance with the policy developed by the Department of Education pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
Nothing in this section shall preclude a school from depleting existing cleaning product supplies purchased on or prior to the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
4. a. The owner of the building in which a child care center with 50 or more students is located or the sponsor of a child care center with 50 or more students, as appropriate, shall procure environmentally sensitive cleaning products for use in the space in the building in which the child care center is located in accordance with the policy developed by the Department of Education pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
Nothing in this subsection shall preclude an owner of the building in which a child care center is located or the sponsor of a child care center from depleting existing cleaning product supplies purchased on or prior to the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. As used in this section:
"Child care center" means a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.).
"Environmentally sensitive cleaning product" means the same as defined in section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
"Sponsor" means the same as defined in section 3 of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-3).
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Education to adopt a green cleaning policy for use in public and private schools, charter schools, and child care centers, that enroll 50 or more students. The policy would require the use of environmentally sensitive cleaning products in such schools and centers and would establish guidelines and specifications for the purchase of these products. The bill defines an "environmentally sensitive cleaning product" as any cleaning or maintenance product that minimizes potential impacts to human health and the environment, consistent with maintaining the effectiveness of these products for the protection of the public health and safety.
The bill stipulates that the guidelines and specifications developed by the department may not prohibit the use of disinfectants, disinfecting cleaners, sanitizers, or any other antimicrobial product regulated under the "Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act," 7 U.S.C. s.136 et seq., when necessary to protect public health and provided that the use of these products is in accordance with responsible cleaning procedure requirements. The guidelines and specifications may stipulate environmentally preferable requirements for these products only at such time as the United States Environmental Protection Agency permits claims related to environmental preferability. The department is directed to consult with industry and other stakeholders in the development of the guidelines and specifications.
Under the bill's provisions, the department is to disseminate the policy to the board of education of a school district, the board of trustees of a charter school, the principal or chief administrator of a private school, and to the sponsor of a child care center, and also make the policy publicly available on the department's website. The department is directed to provide on-going assistance to schools and child care centers in the implementation of the policy. The bill directs school districts, charter schools, private schools, and licensed child care centers to procure and use environmentally sensitive cleaning products; however the bill does not preclude the use of an existing supply of cleaning products purchased on or prior to the date of the bill's enactment.
