The Legislature finds and declares that it is the policy of the state that school facilities provide healthy indoor air quality, including adequate ventilation, to students, teachers, and other occupants in order to protect occupant health, reduce sick days, and improve student productivity and performance.
Chapter 8Heating, Ventilation, And Air Conditioning Systems
Section § 17660
This law makes it clear that schools in the state must have good air quality inside, like proper ventilation, to keep everyone healthy. The goal is to protect people’s health, reduce the number of days people feel too sick to come to school, and help students do better in their studies.
school facilities indoor air quality ventilation healthy environment student productivity occupant health reduce sick days improve performance teacher health school safety ventilation systems indoor environment air quality policy education environment
Section § 17661
This law outlines requirements for schools, including public and certain private institutions, to maintain effective heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These systems must meet specific ventilation standards unless it's not safe or efficient to do so. If an old system can't meet new standards, schools should comply with standards valid at the time of system installation and report any shortcomings regularly. The law also requires schools to use high-efficiency air filters whenever possible, aiming for a MERV rating of 13 or higher, unless the system can't handle it, in which case the best possible filtration should be used. Moreover, there's a future plan to include mandatory carbon dioxide monitors in classrooms. The University of California is encouraged to follow these rules, but it's not mandatory unless they choose to adopt them.
(a)CA Education Code § 17661(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1)CA Education Code § 17661(a)(1) “Covered school” means a school district, a county office of education, a charter school, a private school, the California Community Colleges, or the California State University.
(2)CA Education Code § 17661(a)(2) “HVAC” means heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
(3)CA Education Code § 17661(a)(3) “MERV” means minimum efficiency reporting values.
(b)Copy CA Education Code § 17661(b)
(1)Copy CA Education Code § 17661(b)(1) A covered school shall,
and the University of California is requested to, ensure that facilities, including, but not limited to, classrooms for students, have HVAC systems that meet the minimum ventilation rate requirements set forth in Table 120.1-A of Part 6 (commencing with Section 100.0) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, unless the existing HVAC system is not capable of safely and efficiently providing the minimum ventilation rate.
(2)CA Education Code § 17661(b)(2) If a school’s existing HVAC system is not capable of safely and efficiently providing the minimum ventilation rate required pursuant to paragraph (1), then a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, ensure that its HVAC system meets the minimum ventilation rates in effect at the time the building permit for installation of that HVAC system was issued. In
addition, the covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, document the HVAC system’s inability to meet the current ventilation standards set forth in paragraph (1) in the annual HVAC inspection report required by Section 5142 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, which shall be available to the public upon request.
(c)Copy CA Education Code § 17661(c)
(1)Copy CA Education Code § 17661(c)(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, install filtration that achieves MERV levels of 13 or higher
to the extent determined to be
feasible and appropriate for the existing HVAC system, as determined by the school.
(2)CA Education Code § 17661(c)(2) If, pursuant to paragraph (1), it is determined that the existing HVAC system is not designed to achieve MERV levels of 13 or higher, a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, install filtration that achieves the highest MERV level that the school determines is feasible without significantly reducing the lifespan or performance of the
existing HVAC system.
(d)CA Education Code § 17661(d) Upon the next triennial update of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), the California Building Standards Commission and the Division of the State Architect shall research, develop, and propose for adoption mandatory standards for carbon dioxide monitors in classrooms of a covered school and the University of California.
(e)CA Education Code § 17661(e) This section shall apply to the University of California
only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by resolution, make it applicable.
HVAC systems ventilation rate MERV 13 filtration standards ventilation requirements school HVAC compliance carbon dioxide monitors California Community Colleges California Building Standards triennial update Regents of the University of California annual HVAC inspection report Title 24 regulations feasibility and safety University of California requirements
