BILL REQ. #:  H-5255.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/05/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to evaluating environmental health conditions in state office buildings; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The department of health in consultation with the department of general administration and the department of labor and industries shall convene and chair a work group to study approaches and techniques that are effective at preventing or minimizing the potential for adverse environmental health effects on occupants of state-owned office buildings and privately owned office buildings leased and occupied by state offices.
     (2) The secretary of health shall establish the work group and include representatives from: The department of general administration; the department of labor and industries; the state building code council; agency representatives of small, mid-size, and large facilities; state employee unions; industry representatives, including a representative from a professional trade association from the Olympia area that represents professional developers and owners of private office buildings leased to the state and occupied by state offices; and other stakeholders as deemed appropriate by the department of health.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The department of health shall:
     (a) Conduct a pilot study in the Olympia area of at least two state-owned buildings and one privately owned office building leased and occupied by state offices. The purpose of the study is to measure and monitor indoor air quality and general building conditions as they relate to an evaluation of potential environmental hazards that may negatively impact working conditions;
     (b) Design a water quality sampling study to test the tap water at a minimum of two state-owned buildings and one privately owned office building leased and occupied by state offices for lead, copper, and other public health contaminants;
     (c) Determine which state-owned office buildings and privately owned office buildings that are leased and occupied by state offices provide bottled water instead of using available tap water, and for those buildings report on:
     (i) Reasons why the state offices are being provided with bottled water;
     (ii) Barriers to using available tap water in the state offices including taste and water quality; and
     (iii) Recommendations for policies to minimize the purchase of bottled water at all state-owned office buildings and privately owned office buildings leased by the state and occupied by state offices.
     (2) Using the results from the pilot study, the water quality study, and the study of bottled water, the work group shall provide recommendations on practical cost-effective opportunities to minimize the potential adverse health effects on building occupants of state facilities. Recommendations may include statutory or regulatory changes, incentives, and other approaches. Recommendations must be presented in a report to the governor and appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2009.