House Bill to Fund Green School Projects Moves Forward May 15, 2009

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The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee recently passed H.R. 2187, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, which would authorize US$6.4 billion in 2010 for school construction projects that meet certain environmental standards. According to Don Davis, vice president of Government Affairs for the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the bill will now be sent to the House floor for debate and a vote, likely in the future. AHRI said it will continue to monitor the legislation.

Davis said that if passed by Congress and signed into law, the H.R. 2187 would allow federal grants to be used by school districts to take "measures designed to reduce or eliminate human exposure to classroom noise and environmental noise pollution."

AHRI said that the Committee believes the bill would encourage school districts to undertake projects to reduce or eliminate human exposure to classroom noise and environmental noise pollution and have indicated a preference for grants that consider the ANSI S12.60-2002 American National Standard Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools.

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