Title: Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2020
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2020
This bill reauthorizes and modifies the program of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants to states for the provision of assistance, development of programs, monitoring, and remediation related to environmental hazards (e.g., hazardous substances) in school facilities.
The bill requires the EPA to perform outreach activities to provide information to states about (1) the exposure of children to environmental hazards in school facilities; (2) regulations and guidelines applicable to environmental hazards in school facilities; and (3) other materials to assist in addressing environmental problems, contaminants, hazardous substances, and pollutant emissions. Additionally, the EPA must annually convene school stakeholders (e.g., parents) to discuss topics related to the environmental health of children at school and the prevention, identification, and remediation of contaminants in school buildings and grounds.
The bill adds polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the list of emitted substances that the EPA must account for when issuing voluntary guidelines to states for the purpose of their environmental health programs. Such guidelines must also (1) provide technical assistance for the removal, remediation, and disposal of PCBs and other hazardous substances; and (2) collect an inventory of schools affected by PCBs and other hazardous substances.
To the maximum extent possible, the EPA must make publicly available (1) information on the exposure of children to environmental hazards in school facilities, and (2) an inventory of schools in which PCBs have been found in light ballasts or other media.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4277 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4277

 To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to reauthorize healthy high-
              performance schools, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 22, 2020

  Mr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to reauthorize healthy high-
              performance schools, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools 
Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF HEALTHY HIGH-PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS.

    (a) Grants for Healthy School Environments.--Section 501 of the 
Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2695) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) providing technical assistance to local educational 
        agencies (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), State-
        licensed childcare facilities, and schools in addressing 
        environmental problems, contaminants, hazardous substances, and 
        pollutant emissions, as described in section 504(a)(3)(A);'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by striking ``and implementation''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) by inserting ``as described in 
                                section 504(a)(3)(A),'' after 
                                ``pollutant emissions,''; and
                                    (II) by striking the period at the 
                                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) development of State-level interagency memoranda of 
        understanding for the implementation of programs developed 
        under paragraph (2);
            ``(4) performing inspections, testing, and monitoring for 
        contaminants, hazardous substances, and pollutant emissions, as 
        described in section 504(a)(3)(A), within schools; and
            ``(5) carrying out remediation measures for contaminants, 
        hazardous substances, and pollutant emissions, as described in 
        section 504(a)(3)(A), within schools.''; and
            (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
    ``(b) State Plan.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection (a), a State shall submit to the Administrator a plan that 
describes the means by which the State will--
            ``(1) ensure coordinated programmatic and funding efforts 
        across relevant State-level agencies, including education, 
        environment, health, and energy-related agencies; and
            ``(2) use the grant to make long-term improvements to--
                    ``(A) schools; and
                    ``(B) State-licensed childcare facilities, if 
                applicable.
    ``(c) Grantee Data Collection and Reporting.--A State that receives 
a grant under subsection (a) shall submit to the Administrator an 
annual report describing--
            ``(1) the amount of the grant funds that were used for the 
        activities described in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection 
        (a) during the previous year; and
            ``(2) any inspections, testing, and monitoring performed, 
        and remediation measures carried out, during the previous year 
        using the grant, including the number of schools and the number 
        of students that were directly served.
    ``(d) Reports.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, and every 2 years thereafter, the 
        Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Environment and 
        Public Works and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
        Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Energy and 
        Commerce and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House 
        of Representatives, a report describing the results of the 
        grant program under this section, including a description of--
                    ``(A) the States that were awarded a grant under 
                subsection (a); and
                    ``(B) the activities for which the States described 
                in subparagraph (A) used the grant.
            ``(2) Period covered.--A report submitted under paragraph 
        (1) shall cover--
                    ``(A) in the case of the initial report, the period 
                beginning on the date of enactment of this section and 
                ending on the date of submission of the report; and
                    ``(B) in the case of each report thereafter, the 2-
                year period preceding the date of submission of the 
                report.''.
    (b) Public Outreach.--Section 503 of the Toxic Substances Control 
Act (15 U.S.C. 2695b) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``, until the expiration 
        of authority described in section 501(b)'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``children'' and 
        inserting ``students''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Outreach to States.--The Administrator shall--
            ``(1) carry out periodic outreach to States to make 
        available information relating to--
                    ``(A) the exposure of school children to 
                environmental hazards in school facilities;
                    ``(B) regulations and guidelines applicable to 
                environmental hazards in school facilities; and
                    ``(C) other materials that may assist States in 
                addressing environmental problems, contaminants, 
                hazardous substances, and pollutant emissions, as 
                described in section 504(a)(3)(A); and
            ``(2) annually convene school stakeholders, including 
        parents, child health experts, researchers, nonprofit 
        organizations, and States that receive grants under section 501 
        to meet with employees of the Environmental Protection Agency 
        and other Federal agencies to discuss topics relating to--
                    ``(A) the environmental health of children at 
                school; and
                    ``(B) the prevention, identification, and 
                remediation of contaminants in indoor air and other 
                environmental health risks and threats relating to 
                school buildings and grounds.''.
    (c) Environmental Health Program.--Section 504 of the Toxic 
Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2695c) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``and not less frequently than once every 10 
                years thereafter,'' after ``section,'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3)(A)--
                            (i) by redesignating clauses (v) through 
                        (vii) as clauses (vi) through (viii), 
                        respectively; and
                            (ii) by inserting after clause (iv) the 
                        following:
                            ``(v) polychlorinated biphenyls;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (D) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (E) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) provides technical assistance on best practices for 
        the removal, remediation, and disposal of polychlorinated 
        biphenyls and other hazardous substances; and
            ``(9) collects an inventory of schools affected by 
        polychlorinated biphenyls and other hazardous substances.''; 
        and
            (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
    ``(b) Public Availability of Information.--To the maximum extent 
practicable, the Administrator shall make publicly available--
            ``(1) information relating to the exposure of children to 
        environmental hazards in school facilities; and
            ``(2) an inventory of schools in which polychlorinated 
        biphenyls have been found in light ballasts or other media.''.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 505 of the Toxic 
Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2695d) is amended by striking ``There 
are authorized'' and all that follows through ``2013'' and inserting 
``There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title 
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026''.
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