HF 244

1st Engrossment - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/04/2020 04:31pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; health; requiring school districts to conduct radon testing;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 123B.571.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 123B.571, is amended to read:

123B.571 RADON TESTING.

Subdivision 1.

deleted text begin Voluntary deleted text end Plan.

The commissioners of health and education may jointly
develop a plan to encourage school districts new text begin and charter schools new text end to accurately and efficiently
test for the presence of radon in public school buildings serving students in kindergarten
through grade 12. deleted text begin To the extent possible, the commissioners shall base the plan on the
standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. deleted text end new text begin For purposes
of this section, buildings also include the Minnesota State Academies in Faribault and the
Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley.
new text end

Subd. 2.

Radon testing.

A school district may include radon testing as a part of its
ten-year facility plan under section 123B.595, subdivision 4. If a school district receives
authority to use long-term facilities maintenance revenue to conduct radon testing, the
district shall conduct the testing according to the radon testing plan developed by the
commissioners of health and education.

Subd. 3.

Reporting.

A school district deleted text begin that has tested deleted text end new text begin or charter school must test new text end its school
buildings for the presence of radon deleted text begin shall deleted text end new text begin and must new text end report the results of its tests to the
Department of Health in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner of health. A
school district that has tested for the presence of radon deleted text begin shall deleted text end new text begin must new text end also report the results of
its testing at a school board meeting.

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Testing requirements. new text end

new text begin (a) A school district or charter school must adopt a
radon testing schedule requiring a short-term or long-term test be conducted in every building
serving students at least once every five years. A school district or charter school must begin
testing school buildings by July 1, 2021, and complete testing of all buildings that serve
students within five years.
new text end

new text begin (b) Tests must be conducted with certified radon testing devices as listed by either the
National Radon Proficiency Program or the National Radon Safety Board. Tests must test
all frequently occupied rooms with ground contact and rooms immediately above unoccupied
spaces that are in contact with the ground, such as crawl spaces and tunnels.
new text end

new text begin (c) If a radon test shows that a frequently occupied room has a radon level at or above
four picocuries per liter, a school district or charter school must mitigate or take corrective
action, and retest after corrective measures to show radon reductions. A school district or
charter school must follow the Radon Mitigation Standards for Schools and Large Buildings
released by the American National Standards Institute/American Association of Radon
Scientists and Technologists. The district or charter school must conduct follow-up testing
within two years.
new text end

new text begin (d) All radon measurement and mitigation work must be completed by individuals
licensed under Minnesota Statutes, section 144.4961.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2020.
new text end