AB 629

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law establishes the School Facilities Needs Assessment Grant Program under which grants are awarded to school districts on behalf of schoolsites ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, on the Academic Performance Index, as specified. A school district that receives a grant is required to use the funds to develop a comprehensive needs assessment of all schoolsites eligible for grants. Among the information the assessment is required to contain is the useful life remaining on all major building systems, including the water system, for each structure housing instructional space. This bill would require a school district by January 1, 2012, to conduct a one-time analysis of the level of lead in water in schools that were constructed before January 1, 1993, except schools with plumbing that has been completely replaced since January 1, 1993. The State Department of Public Health would be required to establish testing protocols. Water samples would be required to be analyzed by a laboratory that is certified by the State Department of Public Health or the United States Environmental Protection Agency. A school district would be required to report the results of the analysis to the State Department of Education, which would be required to make the information available to the public. The bill would authorize a school district, if the analysis reveals the presence of lead in water that is available, as specified, for human consumption on a schoolsite, to compete for funding from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006. The State Department of Public Health would be required to establish a deadline for the submittal of applications for funding and prioritize applications in order to achieve the greatest protection from lead exposure among pupils attending public schools. By requiring school districts to conduct the analysis and report the results to the department, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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.