BILL REQ. #:  H-1018.1 

Read first time 01/26/09.   Referred to Committee on Technology, Energy & Communications.

     AN ACT Relating to energy conservation in public education institutions; adding a new chapter to Title 39 RCW; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds and declares the following:
     (a) Public educational facilities that are funded by the government are not required to turn off their electrical machinery or lighting systems when the buildings are unoccupied;
     (b) Failure to turn off electrical lighting systems in unoccupied public educational facilities wastes valuable governmental resources that could be used for more important educational purposes; and
     (c) Turning off all electrical lighting systems in unoccupied public educational facilities nationwide could save the government millions of tax dollars per year.
     (2) Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to direct public educational facilities to turn off electrical lighting systems when their facilities are unoccupied in order to conserve electricity and avoid unnecessary state spending.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Electrical light" means any light that functions by means of electricity, which may include, but is not limited to: Indoor lights, security cameras, or stadium lighting.
     (2) "Facility" includes any building that houses constituents of public educational facilities, which may include, but is not limited to, teachers, students, teacher aides, administrators, janitorial staff, and security officers.
     (3) "Fluorescent" means any lighting device that uses ultraviolet light by means of a cathode ray tube.
     (4) "Public educational facility" means any institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 and any public school under title 28A RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, public educational facilities must turn off all electrical lights when the facility is unoccupied.
     (2) This section does not apply to electrical lights that are installed for security purposes if:
     (a) The electrical lights function by means of fluorescence; or
     (b) A motion detector is attached to the electrical light and only functions when activated.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act may be known and cited as the electricity in public schools act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   This act takes effect August 1, 2009.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 39 RCW.