HB 1464

Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS

Select Committee on Environmental Health

HB 1464

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Reducing the environmental impact of cleaning state facilities.

Sponsors: Representatives Simpson, Hudgins, Wood, Campbell, Morrell and Hasegawa.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires all state agencies to purchase and use cleaning products having properties that minimize potential impacts to human health and the environment.

Directs the Department of General Administration, in consultation with the Department of Health and the Department of Ecology, to provide guidance to state agencies in the selection and procurement of products that reduce the risks of harmful effects to people and the environment.

Hearing Date: 1/30/07

Staff: Brad Avy (786-7289).

Background:

The Department of General Administration (Department) coordinates state agencies' purchases and sales of goods and services. The Director of the Department must establish overall state policy for determining where and when an item in the state supply system should be stocked. In addition, the Director of the Department must develop state goals for using recycled or environmentally preferable products.

The Secretary of the Department of Health must periodically review personal health and sanitation conditions at state owned or contracted institutions and facilities. The Department of Ecology is established as the state agency with the authority to carry out an integrated and coordinated program of pollution prevention and control.

Summary of Bill:

All state agencies must purchase and use cleaning products having properties that minimize potential impacts to human health and the environment. The Department, in consultation with the Department of Health and the Department of Ecology, must provide guidance to state agencies to:

select and purchase products and use practices that reduce or minimize the risks of harmful effects to employees, custodial workers, visitors, and other building occupants, and to the environment;
promote adoption of cleaning practices that reduce or minimize these risks;
recognize state agencies that adopt and implement environmentally beneficial facility and workplace management policies and practices;
encourage contractors supplying goods and services to state agencies to use such products; and,
encourage lessors and building managers who provide leased space to state agencies to select and use such products.

State agencies must purchase environmentally preferred products or document the reasons for selecting alternative products. Preferred products must conform to guidance for environmentally preferred purchasing of cleaning products developed by the Department. State agencies must transition to approved cleaning products within six months of the effective date of the Act in a manner that avoids waste of existing inventories, and allows for proper establishment of supplies and training.

State agencies must prepare a report and list on the Department website the products purchased that are not on the preferred list, along with reasons why they were not selected. A state agency that purchases and uses only environmentally preferred products during the biennium is not required to submit the report.

Local governments and school districts are encouraged to review their purchasing and use of cleaning products and select those products having properties that minimize potential impacts to human health and the environment. The Department must encourage local government and school purchasing of preferred products if the entity is part of the Department's purchasing pool.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 24, 2007.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.