REPORT TITLE:
Schools; Air Conditioning 

DESCRIPTION:
Requires the department of education to plan for and request
appropriations necessary to provide air conditioning in every
public school classroom statewide by the year 2004.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.125
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the quality of public
 
 2 education in the State is related to the condition of public
 
 3 school facilities.  In order to achieve schools of excellence in
 
 4 the twenty-first century, steps must be taken to ensure that our
 
 5 public school students are taught in facilities that are
 
 6 conducive to learning.
 
 7      There is medical evidence to show that exposing children to
 
 8 prolonged periods of heat and humidity reduces their learning
 
 9 ability.  According to the Committee on School Health of the
 
10 American Academy of Pediatrics, an "effective temperature" of
 
11 eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit for a sustained period of four to
 
12 six hours is considered the maximum tolerable condition for
 
13 sedentary educational activity.  Fatigue and learning skills
 
14 deteriorate rapidly beyond this point.  Studies have confirmed
 
15 that even slight increases in environmental temperature have an
 
16 adverse effect on learning performance.
 
17      Most of Hawaii's public school classrooms are naturally
 
18 ventilated.  The adverse effect of Hawaii's climate on public
 
19 school students learning in these classrooms is of concern since
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           125
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 our State experiences consistently high humidity and average
 
 2 daytime temperatures in the mid-eighties in Fahrenheit degrees,
 
 3 with temperatures often rising to the high eighties and low
 
 4 nineties during certain months of the school year.
 
 5      While the department of education has installed ceiling fans
 
 6 in certain situations to alleviate these concerns, these actions
 
 7 have not proven to be effective.
 
 8      The purpose of this Act is to mandate the provision of air
 
 9 conditioning in every public school classroom statewide by the
 
10 year 2004.
 
11      SECTION 2.  Section 302A-1501, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
12 amended to read as follows:
 
13      "�302A-1501  Noise and climate control at school facilities.
 
14 The department [of education] shall plan for, and request
 
15 appropriations necessary to implement[, acoustic], the following:
 
16      (1)  Acoustic noise control [and air conditioning] of
 
17           existing and new school facilities in areas [which]
 
18           that are [susceptible to extremes of temperature or]
 
19           affected by aircraft, traffic, and other noise[.]; and
 
20      (2)  Air conditioning of all existing and new school
 
21           classroom facilities.
 
22 The department shall develop appropriate standards and consider
 
23 local conditions for deciding whether acoustic noise control [and
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           125
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 air conditioning of existing and new school facilities are] is
 
 2 required for effective classroom instruction.  In all cases where
 
 3 acoustic treatment of school facilities is planned, the
 
 4 department shall utilize the services of individuals qualified by
 
 5 training and experience to recommend appropriate noise control
 
 6 procedures and components.  Acoustic noise control [and air
 
 7 conditioning] shall be given equal weight as all other factors in
 
 8 the criteria used by the department in setting priorities for
 
 9 school construction and renovations.
 
10      [In any case where air conditioners are installed in a
 
11 particular school, the department may require that the
 
12 approximate cost of electricity and maintenance for air
 
13 conditioners not installed by the department of accounting and
 
14 general services be paid by a private entity until the department
 
15 establishes temperature and noise standards and a policy relating
 
16 to air conditioning.]"
 
17      SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
18 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $       , or so much
 
19 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, and the
 
20 sum of $       , or so much thereof as may be necessary for
 
21 fiscal year 2000-2001, to provide air conditioning in every
 
22 public school classroom statewide by the year 2004.  The sums
 
23 appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           125
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 the purposes of this Act.
 
 2      SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 3 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 4      SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
 5 
 
 6                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________