,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ccfd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #bg1 #bjbj,mr4 ,booker introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to improve the health and academic achievement of students in highly polluted environments1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,clean ,air ,sharp ,minds ,act4 #b4 ,purposes ,the purposes of this ,act are-- 7#a7 to improve the health and academic achievement of students in highly polluted environments2 7#b7 to demonstrate the impacts of clean air at school on student learning and well-being2 and 7#c7 to support the ,nation's schools to advance environmental justice4 #c4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,substantial research demonstrates that air pollution negatively impacts health and cognition4 7#b7 ,more than #a in #e public schools in the ,united ,states are located within a mile of a toxic release site4 ,nearly #a in #aa public schools1 serving #d1djj1jjj students1 are less than #ejj feet from a major road4 7#c7 ,according to a #bjag report1 #d percent of schools serving predominantly ,white students are next to major roads1 while #ae percent of schools serving largely students of color are next to major roads4 7#d7 ,indoor levels of air pollutants can be #b to #e times higher1 and sometimes #ajj times higher1 than outdoor levels4 ,in #bjad1 nearly half of schools in the ,united ,states reported having problems related to indoor air quality4 7#e7 ,schools in poor repair may have additional air quality problems1 including lead1 asbestos1 dust1 and radon contamination4 7#f7 ,poor indoor air quality increases the risk of severe asthma attacks and allergic reactions4 ,asthma is the leading cause of missed school days in the ,united ,states4 7#g7 ,high-performance air filters can decrease indoor particulate matter by #ij percent4 7#h7 ,research demonstrates the potential for school air filters to improve student learning4 ,in #bjaf1 commercial air filters were installed in every classroom1 office1 and common area of #ah public schools in ,los ,angeles4 ,controlling for student demographics1 mathematics test scores at these schools improved dramatically1 nearly matching the impact of reducing class sizes by a third1 and gains persisted the following the year4 #d4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency4 7#b7 ,commercial air filter ,the term commercial air filter means an air filter unit that-- 7,a7 removes particulate matter 7including mold1 smoke1 dust1 lead1 soot1 and allergens from pests7 and gaseous pollutants 7including carbon monoxide1 sulfur dioxide1 and volatile organic compounds72 7,b7 does not produce any ozone2 7,c7 meets the ,american ,society of ,heating1 ,refrigerating1 and ,air-,conditioning ,engineers 7,,ashrae7 ,minimum ,efficiency ,reporting ,value 7,,merv7 of #ac 7or the equivalent1 using a different rating system72 and 7,d7 contains activated carbon 7charcoal7 and a ,,hepa particle filter4 7#c7 ,eligible school ,the term eligible school means a public elementary school or secondary school1 as such terms are defined in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#d7 ,environmental justice ,the term environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all individuals1 regardless of race1 color1 national origin1 educational level1 or income1 with respect to the development1 implementation1 and enforcement of environmental laws1 regulations1 and policies to ensure that-- 7,a7 populations of color1 communities of color1 indigenous communities1 and low-income communities have access to public information and opportunities for meaningful public participation relating to human health and environmental planning1 regulations1 and enforcement2 7,b7 no population of color or community of color1 indigenous community1 or low-income community shall be exposed to a disproportionate burden of the negative human health and environmental impacts of pollution or other environmental hazards2 and 7,c7 the #ag ,principles of ,environmental ,justice1 written and adopted at the ,first ,national ,people of ,color ,environmental ,leadership ,summit held on ,october #bd through #bg1 #aiia1 in ,washington1 ,,dc1 are upheld4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 #e4 ,demonstration program authorized 7a7 ,in ,general ,not later than #f months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to jointly administer the ,school ,air ,filters ,demonstration ,program described in this section for a #c-year period4 7b7 ,selection of eligible schools 7#a7 ,selection of eligible schools ,not later than #ab months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall select a minimum of #age eligible schools to participate in the ,school ,air ,filters ,demonstration ,program4 7#b7 ,priority ,in selecting eligible schools under this subsection1 the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall do so with the purpose of advancing environmental justice1 giving priority-- 7,a7 first1 to eligible schools that are located in a nonattainment area for ,,pm#b4e1 ,,pm#aj1 or ozone2 7,b7 second1 to eligible schools that have school facilities that pose a severe health and safety threat to students and staff2 and 7,c7 third1 to eligible schools that have a high concentration of students from a low-income family4 7#c7 ,considerations in selection ,in selecting eligible schools under this subsection1 the ,secretary and the ,administrator-- 7,a7 shall seek to select eligible schools that represent-- 7i7 a mix of elementary schools1 middle schools1 and high schools2 and 7ii7 a mix of urban1 suburban1 and rural schools2 and 7,b7 may consider any other eligibility requirements that the ,secretary and the ,administrator determine are necessary to carry out the purposes of this ,act4 7c7 ,agreement ,to participate ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall seek to enter into a written agreement with each eligible school selected under subsection 7b7 to ensure that the eligible school desires to participate in the ,school ,air ,filters ,demonstration ,program4 ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall carry out the activities under subsection 7d7 only with respect to participating eligible schools that enter into such an agreement4 7d7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,in ,general ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall-- 7,a7 purchase commercial air filters for the buildings of each participating eligible school2 7,b7 install a commercial air filter in every classroom1 office1 and common area that students access in each such school2 7,c7 maintain those air filters for a period of #c years1 including by ensuring the replacement of the internal carbon filters of those air filters according to a frequency as indicated by the manufacturer2 7,d7 provide technical support to eligible schools participating in the program1 including training school staff on how to properly use the air filters2 and 7,e7 using not more than #c4e percent of the funds appropriated under subsection 7f71 collect1 analyze1 and submit data that is necessary for the report and evaluation described in subsection 7e74 7#b7 ,use of contractor 7,a7 ,in ,general ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 the activities described in subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c7 of paragraph 7#a7 may be carried out by an entity that-- 7i7 has a contract to do so with the ,administrator2 and 7ii7 has a ,state or local license or certification from a relevant professional organization allowing the entity to install and maintain air filter units4 7,b7 ,collective bargaining agreement ,notwithstanding subparagraph 7,a71 if a school or local educational agency's collective bargaining agreement stipulates that a school staff member carry out the activities described in subparagraphs 7,b7 or 7,c7 of paragraph 7#a71 the ,administrator shall coordinate with the local educational agency to arrange for school staff to carry out those activities4 ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to interfere with a collective bargaining agreement4 7e7 ,reports and evaluation 7#a7 ,annual reports ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall prepare and submit to ,congress an annual report containing-- 7,a7 metrics that demonstrate the indoor air quality 7at a minimum1 ,,pm#b4e levels1 as well as any other air pollutants that the ,administrator determines necessary to test7 at #c locations within each participating eligible school before installation of the commercial air filters1 and subsequently twice per academic year1 ensuring that the locations of that testing are kept consistent for each test72 7,b7 the pollutants that are captured by the air filters at participating eligible schools1 as determined by annual tests conducted on the used air filters2 7,c7 metrics that demonstrate the academic outcomes of students at each participating eligible school 7including standardized test scores72 7,d7 rates of suspension at each participating eligible school2 and 7,e7 rates of school absence by students at each participating eligible school1 including rates of school absence relating to asthma and other health measures4 7#b7 ,evaluation ,at the end of the #c-year ,school ,air ,filters ,demonstration ,program1 the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall prepare and submit a report to ,congress that includes an evaluation of the effectiveness of the ,school ,air ,filters ,demonstration ,program1 including an analysis of the impact of the commercial air filters on student academic achievement and well-being1 and on the program's potential to advance environmental justice4 ,the evaluation shall include recommendations based on the findings from the ,school ,air ,filters ,demonstration ,program4 7f7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act #bj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjba4