What's happening
This bill requires the installation of portable air purifiers in all public schools in New York City within 180 days.
Why it matters
Targets Indoor Air Quality. By mandating high-efficiency air purifiers (HEPA, UVGI, or DFS) that can remove at least 99.95% of particles over 0.3 micrometers, the bill directly addresses indoor air pollution, which is linked to asthma, allergies, and the spread of airborne diseases among students and staff.
Focus on Urban Public Schools. The requirement applies specifically to public schools in cities with over one million residents (i.e., New York City), targeting environments where air quality challenges are often more acute due to density, older infrastructure, and higher pollution levels.
Rapid and Flexible Implementation. Schools must install the portable purifiers within 180 days, and the devices must be easily movable, allowing for quick deployment to affected areas (like during mold outbreaks or construction) and adaptability as needs change.
Regulatory Oversight and Standards. The bill empowers the Departments of Health and Education to set rules for implementation, ensuring technical standards are met and that schools are held accountable for compliance, which may set a precedent for addressing air quality in other public facilities.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Install Air Purifiers in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5264
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 8, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. D. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring the installation of portable air purifiers in certain schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 10 to read as follows:
ARTICLE 10
AIR PURIFIERS; CERTAIN SCHOOLS Section 1000. Definitions.
1001. Air purifiers; certain schools.
§ 1000. Definitions. For purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
a. "High-efficiency particulate air filter" or "HEPA" shall mean an air filter that uses a filter to remove particles from the air.
b. "Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation filter" or "UVGI" is an air filter that uses a disinfection method that uses ultraviolet (UV) light at sufficiently short wavelength to kill microorganisms.
c. "Disinfection filtration system" or "DFS" is an air filter that applies a high energy field within a sealed filter compartment to inactivate microorganisms, thereby killing them permanently.
§ 1001. Air purifiers; certain schools. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commissioner, in cooperation with the commissioner of education, shall have installed in every public school located within a city with a population of one million or more, portable HEPA, UVGI and/or DFS filters demonstrating capability to kill or inactivate germs such as mold. Such installation shall be made in such a manner and with a sufficient number of such filters that are rated to remove at least 99.95% of all particles greater than 0.3 micrometer from the air.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09245-01-9
A. 5264 2
2. The filters required to be installed pursuant to subdivision one of this section shall be installed within one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this section and shall be installed in a manner whereby such filters can be easily moved or transferred from one location to another.
3. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of education, is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this article.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.