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S 2873School Safety

Education - Health and Safety of Pupils

Mandates state guidelines for school air quality, requires periodic HVAC inspections, and establishes standards for air filtration in public schools.

Introduced36 Yea0 Nay2 Not voting
Population
Affected
42
Email Legislator
Introduced Mar 4, 2026Committee Senate Health & Human Services

Plain-English Summary

This legislation mandates that the Department of Health establish indoor air quality guidelines for public schools, covering factors like temperature, humidity, and pollutants. It requires the Department of Education to conduct uniform inspections of school air quality and HVAC systems every five years, subject to available state funding. The bill stipulates that schools with HVAC systems must install MERV 13 filters where feasible. Inspection results must be reported to school officials and published online. Additionally, the bill defines specific qualifications for the personnel authorized to perform these inspections and adjustments.

For younger readers

This new rule is designed to make sure the air inside school buildings is clean and healthy to breathe. It tells the state health department to make a list of rules for good air, like the right temperature and how much dust is allowed. Workers will check the heating and cooling machines in schools every five years to make sure they work right. Schools will also have to put in better air filters to catch germs. The results of these checks will be put on the internet so parents and teachers can see them.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Public School StudentsTeachers and School StaffHVAC Contractors and TechniciansSchool Committees/BoardsDepartment of Elementary and Secondary Education
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Prioritizes the health and safety of students and teachers by mandating higher air quality standards, which is particularly beneficial for schools in underfunded communities that often suffer from poor infrastructure.
  • Promotes labor rights and fair wages by defining "qualified personnel" and "skilled and trained workforce" in alignment with apprenticeship programs and the Davis-Bacon Act.
  • Increases government transparency by requiring that inspection results and air quality data be made easily available online for parents and the community to review.
  • Contains a significant loophole by making the implementation of expanded assessments "subject to the availability of state funding," potentially rendering the mandate toothless if the legislature fails to appropriate money.
  • Allows schools to avoid installing high-quality MERV 13 filters if they determine it is not "feasible and appropriate," which may leave students in older buildings with inferior air protection.
  • Focuses heavily on assessment and reporting without explicitly mandating or funding the immediate repair of the deficiencies found during these inspections.
For Conservatives
  • Ensures accountability for taxpayer assets by requiring regular inspections and data collection regarding the physical condition of public school facilities.
  • Includes pragmatic language allowing schools to opt out of the highest filter standards if not "feasible," preventing an expensive unfunded mandate that would force the replacement of entire HVAC systems.
  • Focuses on a core function of government—providing a safe physical environment for students—rather than expanding into controversial social curriculum changes.
  • Effectively mandates the use of union labor for inspections and adjustments through strict "skilled and trained workforce" definitions and Davis-Bacon Act references, potentially driving up costs.
  • Increases the regulatory burden on local school boards and the Department of Education with new reporting requirements and administrative oversight.
  • Creates a pathway for increased government spending, as the identification of HVAC deficiencies will inevitably lead to calls for significant capital investments funded by taxpayers.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 89 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 16-21 of the General Laws entitled "Health and Safety of Pupils" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 16-21-44. School air quality.

(a) The following words and phrases when used in this section shall have the following meanings:

(1) "Certified testing, adjusting, and balancing technician" means;

(i) A technician, tradesperson, or apprentice certified to perform testing, adjusting, and balancing of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems by the Associated Air Balance Council, the National Environmental Balancing Bureau, or the testing, adjusting and balancing bureau; or

(ii) A person certified to perform ventilation assessments of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems through a certification body accredited in accordance with the ISO/IEC 17024 personnel certification standard.

(2) "HVAC " means heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

(3) "MERV " means minimum efficiency reporting value.

(4) "PM2.5 " means particles less than two and one-half (2.5) micrometers in diameter.

(5) "PM10 " means particles less than ten (10) micrometers in diameter.

(6) "Professional engineering standards" means nationally recognized, science-based technical standards for the design, operation, maintenance, and performance of indoor spaces, developed through an accredited consensus process, as in effect at the time the inspection, evaluation, or work is performed. Relevant standards include, but are not limited to, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1 (ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality), ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 (thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy), and ASHRAE Standard 241 (control of infectious aerosols).

(7) "Qualified personnel" means either;

(i) A certified testing, adjusting, and balancing technician; or

(ii) A skilled and trained workforce under the supervision of a certified testing, adjusting, and balancing technician.

(8) "Skilled and trained workforce" means a workforce, managed in conformance with the Davis-Bacon Act, 40 U.S.C. §§ 3141 through 3148, in which at least sixty percent (60%) of the workers are graduates of or registered in and attending an apprenticeship program registered with the department of labor and training, division of apprenticeship training.

(9) "Verification" means the process of evaluating a system, component, or product to determine whether it complies with specified requirements, design specifications, or regulations.

(b) The department of health shall establish guidelines for indoor air quality in schools, including recommended thresholds and/or rates for environmental conditions that directly affect health and learning. Required areas of focus include:

(1) Temperature;

(2) Humidity;

(3) Carbon dioxide;

(4) PM2.5;

(5) PM10;

(6) Ventilation; and

(7) Filtration.

(c) The department of education school building authority, as part of the needs survey outlined in § 16-105-3, shall expand services to include uniform inspection and evaluation of the indoor air quality within each school building, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems when present. The inspection shall be conducted in conjunction with local school boards, and shall identify any deficiencies from the department of health recommendations established pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, as well as other conditions that may affect building performance or occupant health. Implementation of the expanded assessment scope under this subsection, including HVAC and indoor air quality-related evaluations, shall be subject to the availability of state funding appropriated for statewide school facility assessments. Inspection results shall include estimated costs to address identified issues through capital construction, renovation, maintenance, or other school facility investments, as outlined in §16-105-3. The inspection and evaluation shall be performed by qualified personnel at least once every five (5) years. The department of education shall define the assessment procedures and data collection methods, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) Environmental measurements including air temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, PM2.5, and PM10 under occupied conditions;

(2) Evaluation of filtration levels and maintenance practices;

(3) Verification of the physical condition and operational performance of ventilation system components, in accordance with professional engineering standards; and

(4) Verification that required maintenance of ventilation systems has been performed in accordance with professional engineering standards.

(d) The department of education shall make the inspection and evaluation results easily available online and send the test results directly to:

(1) Each school's principal;

(2) The department of elementary and secondary education; and

(3) The appropriate local school board.

(e) All schools with HVAC systems shall install filtration that achieves MERV levels of thirteen (13) to the extent determined to be feasible and appropriate for the existing HVAC system, as determined by the school board, in accordance with the latest professional engineering standards and recommendations. If it is determined by the school board that the existing HVAC system is not designed to achieve MERV levels of thirteen (13), the school shall install filtration that achieves the highest level feasible without significantly reducing the lifespan or performance of the existing HVAC system. School personnel shall inspect and replace filters as recommended by manufacturer guidelines. All HVAC adjustments shall be performed by qualified personnel.

(f) The department of education, in coordination with the department of health, shall submit a report to the general assembly within one year of the effective date of this section with recommendations to improve indoor air quality in public schools. The report shall provide an update on indoor air quality procedures, guidelines, and best practices, along with the status of funding necessary to support expanded indoor air quality and HVAC improvements and assessments in schools. The report shall also utilize data collected as part of the needs survey outlined in §16-105-3. Thereafter, the needs survey and corresponding report shall be conducted on a five (5) year cycle, consistent with § 16-105-3, subject to the availability of funding.

(g) The department of education shall designate and publicly identify a point of contact to receive and respond to concerns related to indoor air quality and ventilation systems in public schools.

(h) The department of health and department of education are hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.