SB 1413: Public school buildings; indoor air quality, inspection and evaluation. - Virginia

Delegate Helmer Substitute → Chaptered · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was enacted into law as Chapter 632, significantly reducing its scope by removing two sections (22.1-141.5 and 22.1-141.6) that required regular indoor air quality inspections and evaluations. The final law only includes scope and definitions sections, eliminating mandatory inspection programs for schools.

Scope change

The bill's scope was substantially reduced from requiring comprehensive indoor air quality inspections to only establishing definitions and scope without any operational requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Removed mandatory biennial indoor air quality inspection program that required schools to evaluate HVAC systems, radon levels, mold, pests, and other environmental hazards.

Removed requirement for industry-recognized HVAC inspections every four years by certified technicians or engineers.

Eliminated public reporting requirements for inspection results that must be available at school board meetings and on websites.

TIMELINE

Changed bill status from House Substitute to enacted Chapter 632 of the 2025 Reconstituted Session.

DEFINITION

Minor formatting changes to definitions section, including punctuation adjustments in the certified technician definition.

Education Substitute → Delegate Helmer Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change the inspection frequency from every five years to every two years, modify the definition of certified technicians to include apprentices, add air handling unit condensation systems to the inspection checklist, and remove the requirement for industrial hygienists or mechanical engineers as qualified inspectors.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on indoor air quality inspections in public school buildings, but the inspection requirements have been expanded and made more frequent.

TIMELINE

Inspection frequency changed from every five years to every two years for the uniform inspection and evaluation program.

DEFINITION

Definition of certified testing technician now includes apprentices, expanding the pool of qualified personnel.

REQUIREMENT

Added air handling unit condensation systems to the list of items that must be reviewed during inspections.

Removed the requirement for industrial hygienists or mechanical engineers as qualified inspectors, limiting qualified personnel to testing technicians, tradespersons, or apprentices.

Reenrolled → Education Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a Reenrolled Act into an Education Substitute Amendment, changing its status from a finalized law to a proposed amendment. The substantive changes include expanding the inspection scope to include radon, mold, pests, and hazardous substances, modifying the HVAC technician certification requirements, and changing the inspection frequency from four to five years.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded from only HVAC system inspections to include a broader uniform inspection program covering radon, mold, pests, pesticides, hazardous substances, plumbing, moisture, and building structure.

REQUIREMENT

Inspection frequency changed from every four years to every five years for HVAC systems

New requirement to report and publicly display results of the expanded inspection program

SCOPE

New inspection program added covering radon, mold, bacteria, air contaminants, pests, pesticides, hazardous substances, plumbing, moisture, cleanliness, and building structure

DEFINITION

HVAC technician certification requirements expanded to include United Association apprenticeship training as an additional qualification

TECHNICAL

Bill format changed from Reenrolled Act to Education Substitute Amendment, indicating it is now a proposed amendment rather than finalized legislation

Enrolled → Reenrolled · 5 edits · Apr 2, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was reenrolled with significant substantive changes. The most important change is that Section 22.1-141.5, which required annual inspections of indoor air quality including radon and pest infestation, was completely removed. The remaining sections now focus only on HVAC system inspections every four years. This narrows the bill's scope from comprehensive indoor air quality monitoring to just mechanical ventilation system evaluations.

Scope change

The bill's scope was significantly narrowed. The original version required annual inspections of multiple indoor air quality factors including radon, mold, bacteria, and pests. The reenrolled version only requires four-year inspections of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

REQUIREMENT

Removed Section 22.1-141.5 which required annual inspections of radon levels, mold, bacteria, pests, and other indoor air quality factors

TIMELINE

Changed the inspection frequency from annual to every four years for the remaining HVAC inspection requirements

SCOPE

Removed the requirement to inspect for radon, mold, bacteria, pests, and other indoor air contaminants

DEFINITION

Simplified the bill by removing the separate definitions section that covered multiple indoor air quality concepts

TECHNICAL

Changed formatting from 'ENROLLED' to 'REENROLLED' and adjusted line numbering and spacing

Engrossed → Enrolled · 7 edits · Apr 2, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was converted from Engrossed to Enrolled status, with significant substantive changes including a reduction in covered sections from 22.1-141.3 through 22.1-141.9 to only 22.1-141.3 through 22.1-141.6, a shift from a compliance program focused on maintenance to an inspection and evaluation program, and the addition of new definitions for testing technicians and HVAC systems. The enrolled version also expands coverage to include students in addition to school board employees and adds requirements for radon testing, pest infestation checks, and industry-recognized HVAC evaluations every four years.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from seven sections to six sections, and applicability was expanded to include students in addition to school board employees during regular hours.

SCOPE

Coverage reduced from sections 22.1-141.3 through 22.1-141.9 to only 22.1-141.3 through 22.1-141.6, removing provisions for complaint resolution processes and detailed recordkeeping requirements.

Applicability expanded to include students alongside school board employees during regular work and school hours.

REQUIREMENT

Changed from a compliance program requiring preventive maintenance schedules to an inspection and evaluation program requiring uniform inspections every two years and industry-recognized evaluations every four years.

Added new inspection requirements for radon levels, pest infestation, pesticide usage, extremely hazardous substances, moisture incursion, and unoccupied spaces.

Added requirement for industry-recognized HVAC inspections every four years performed by certified technicians, industrial hygienists, licensed HVAC professionals, or mechanical engineers.

Changed complaint response requirements from 15 business days with specific documentation to a general inspection and evaluation program with public reporting of results.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'Certified testing, adjusting, and balancing technician' and 'Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system' with more detailed technical specifications.

Introduced → Engrossed · 1 edit · Feb 21, 2025

MINOR

The bill text shows formatting changes between the introduced and engrossed versions, including added page headers, spacing adjustments, and line number formatting. No substantive policy changes were made to the actual legislative content regarding indoor air quality standards for Virginia public schools.

TECHNICAL

Added page headers, spacing, and line numbers to the engrossed version for official formatting purposes. The actual legislative text and policy provisions remain unchanged.

Public school buildings; indoor air quality, inspection and evaluation.

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