House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	July 24, 2015 12:23 PM
From:	Representative Tim Briggs
To:	All House members
Subject:	Green Cleaning Products in Schools

In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that would require school districts to establish policies for the procurement and use of green product cleaning supplies in schools. Many traditional cleaning products contain chemicals that can contribute to poor indoor air quality, trigger asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and contribute to long-term health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), asthma is a leading chronic illness among children and adolescents in the United States and is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. Additionally, many school districts have already saved money by replacing ready to use conventional cleaning products with highly concentrated green cleaners that are just as effective. My legislation would be modeled after Maryland’s green cleaning in schools law, and would require the use of cleaning supplies that meet the certification guidelines of Green Seal, Green Label, Environmental Choice, Terra Choice or EcoLogo, or any other nationally recognized independent third-party entity that certifies environmentally preferable products. Currently, twelve states and the District of Columbia have passed green cleaning in schools bills. I hope you will recognize the need to further ensure the safety of our children’s learning environment by co-sponsoring this legislation.

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