Overview
Title
To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to authorize grants for toxic substances remediation in schools, to reauthorize healthy high-performance schools, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
H.R. 10173 is a plan to help schools by giving them money to clean up harmful stuff like lead and asbestos, make the air healthier to breathe, and train people to keep schools safe. It talks about a lot of money that will be used to make schools better, but there are some tricky parts about how the money is used and what exactly needs to be done.
Summary AI
H. R. 10173 is a bill designed to improve safety in schools by amending the Toxic Substances Control Act. It allows grants for the cleanup of toxic substances, like lead and asbestos, in schools and other educational settings. The bill also provides funding for training and technical assistance to help maintain healthy school environments. Additionally, it seeks to enhance indoor air quality in schools through grants to various educational and governmental entities.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
Editorial Commentary on the "Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2024"
The "Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2024," legislation number H.R. 10173, proposed in the 118th Congress, aims to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act. The bill primarily focuses on providing grants for the remediation of toxic substances in schools and reauthorizing efforts to support healthy, high-performance educational facilities. It authorizes significant funding for states and Indian Tribes to identify and eliminate environmental hazards like lead and asbestos from school buildings. Moreover, it extends support for improving indoor air quality and addresses various environmental health issues within educational settings.
General Summary of the Bill
At its core, this bill seeks to create safer educational environments by funding the removal of hazardous substances from school facilities, including public schools, child care centers, and educational settings for juveniles. The proposed grants would empower states and Indian Tribes to conduct assessments, perform remediation work, and enhance air quality management plans. Notably, the bill authorizes substantial budgets, with $5.2 billion annually earmarked for remediation efforts, and an additional $100 million annually for improving indoor air and environmental health in schools. The scope of the legislation is broad, but it is driven by an underlying goal to enhance the safety and healthiness of educational environments across the nation.
Significant Issues
A key issue highlighted by this bill is the potential ambiguity in definitions used within the text. Terms like "environmental concern" or "eligible facility" lack precise definitions, which could lead to confusion about the focus and application of the grants. Another point of contention is the "Buy America" requirement, which mandates the use of American-produced iron, steel, and manufactured products. This could increase project costs and limit material availability. Additionally, the significant funding authorized, especially $100 million annually for ten years aimed at indoor air quality improvements, poses risks in efficient allocation and monitoring. The bill also lacks specific criteria for grant distribution, raising concerns about favoritism or uneven allocation of funds. Furthermore, the administrative burden of maintaining detailed records, especially for smaller entities, may be onerous.
Broad Public Impact
If successfully implemented, this bill could lead to a broader shift towards healthier and safer educational environments nationwide. The potential benefits of such improvements could be substantial, particularly for children who are more susceptible to environmental hazards. Schools with improved conditions may see better health outcomes for students, potentially enhancing learning and overall wellbeing. However, the ambitious funding and logistical requirements mean that careful oversight will be critical to avoid misuse or inefficient use of resources.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
The bill could positively impact students, educators, and communities by ensuring safer school environments. Areas that have historically faced environmental health risks may experience the most significant benefits, with improvements in air quality and reduced exposure to hazardous substances. On the other hand, smaller educational institutions or those lacking administrative resources might struggle with the reporting and compliance demands stipulated by the bill, potentially creating disparities in application readiness and implementation.
Contractors and suppliers, especially those aligned with the "Buy America" requirements, might see increased opportunities as the demand for domestically produced materials rises. However, the concerns about increased costs and limited availability of these materials remain.
Overall, while the bill strives to address critical issues of health and safety in schools, it must navigate the complexities of legislative language and practical implementation to realize its potential benefits. The effective administration of grants, clear definitions, and practical guidelines will be essential to ensure that the bill successfully translates into tangible improvements for educational facilities across the country.
Financial Assessment
H.R. 10173, titled the "Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2024," proposes several financial allocations to address the presence of toxic substances in educational settings.
Financial Summary
The bill authorizes significant financial commitments across various sections. Notably, $5.2 billion per year is earmarked for grants aimed at the remediation of toxic substances in schools from fiscal years 2025 through 2035. This funding facilitates activities such as inspections, testing, and remediation of hazardous substances like asbestos and lead. Additionally, Section 3 of the bill authorizes $10 million annually to promote healthy school environments and reauthorizes funding for high-performance schools for the same fiscal period. Finally, Section 4 designates $100 million annually to enhance indoor air quality in educational facilities, again spanning from 2025 to 2035.
Related Issues
These financial allocations concurrently raise several issues identified within the bill analysis:
Efficient Allocation and Monitoring: The substantial annual funding amounts (such as the $100 million annually for air quality improvements) could lead to concerns about whether these funds will be efficiently allocated and properly monitored. The complexities in administration, as highlighted in the issues section, may challenge entities responsible for their distribution.
Material Sourcing Requirements: The requirement that materials used must be produced in the United States, encapsulated in the "Buy America" requirement, might lead to increased costs or supply limitations. The provision allows for a waiver if using U.S.-produced materials increases the total project cost by more than 25%, but lacks detailed criteria for this decision-making process, potentially leading to inconsistencies and financial complications.
Definitions and Clarity: Ambiguous terms such as "environmental concern" and "eligible facility" could cause confusion in the allocation of funds, leading to uncertainties about which projects qualify for the grants. This lack of clarity may impede the targeted use of financial resources intended for facility improvements.
Grant Allocation Criteria: There is no specific guideline or criteria for the equitable distribution of funds, which could result in favoritism or unequal distribution, as identified in Issues. Ensuring transparency and fairness in grant allocation could become challenging without defined allocation metrics.
Administrative Burdens: The bill outlines that detailed administrative records must be maintained, especially for workforce development and project labor agreements. This obligation might place a heavy burden on smaller entities lacking sufficient administrative capacity.
Impact Assessment: The absence of specific metrics to assess program effectiveness raises accountability concerns. This could lead to difficulties in justifying the substantial financial outlays and ensuring that they effectively improve environmental and health outcomes in educational settings.
In conclusion, while H.R. 10173 sets forth substantial funding to address environmental challenges in schools, the identified issues underscore the need for clearer guidelines and criteria to ensure that this financial investment achieves its intended benefits in a fair and efficient manner.
Issues
The authorization of significant funding amounts for various grants, especially the $100,000,000 annually for indoor air quality improvements, may raise concerns about the efficient allocation and monitoring of these funds, as outlined in SEC. 4 and the related financial management sections.
The requirement in SEC. 2 that States ensure iron, steel, and manufactured products be produced in the United States might lead to increased project costs and limited availability, potentially requiring further clarification or more detailed exception rules for compliance.
The broad terms 'environmental concern' and 'eligible facility', as mentioned in several sections such as SEC. 2 and SEC. 3, could lead to ambiguity and confusion, necessitating clearer definitions to ensure the grants address specific issues and reach appropriate facilities.
Implementation complexities related to numerous cross-references to other legislation, like the Toxic Substances Control Act, may make sections of the bill difficult to navigate and understand without significant legal expertise, especially noted in SEC. 2.
The bill lacks specific criteria or guidelines for grant allocation, which might result in potential favoritism or unequal distribution, as seen in multiple sections, including SEC. 3 and SEC. 501.
The requirement to maintain detailed administrative records in SEC. 2(8)(D) could excessively burden smaller entities or contractors who might not have sufficient administrative resources.
The bill's lack of specified metrics or methods for assessing the effectiveness and impact of programs, especially regarding the environmental and health outcomes, raises concerns about accountability and efficient use of funds, particularly in SEC. 2(12) and similar sections.
Provisions allowing for the waiver of 'Buy America' requirements if costs exceed 25% lack detailed implementation guidance or criteria for decision-making, observed in SEC. 2(7)(C).
The bill's authorization of $10,000,000 annually for healthy high-performance schools, without clear justification or breakdown, could lead to wasteful spending if not properly monitored, as stated in SEC. 3.
Public outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts, as mentioned in SEC. 3(b), lack specific strategies or methods, which could limit the effectiveness of these initiatives in engaging affected communities and ensuring transparency.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the bill states that it may be referred to as the "Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act of 2024."
2. Grants for toxic substances remediation in schools Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The bill amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to provide grants to states and Indian Tribes for identifying and removing environmental hazards, like lead and asbestos, from school facilities. It outlines the requirements for these grants, including funding allocation, project regulations, and reporting, with a focus on improving health and safety in educational settings.
Money References
- “(ii) HIGHER PERCENTAGE.—If the amount made available to provide grants under this subsection for a fiscal year is less than $500,000,000, the Administrator may reserve more than 4 percent of that amount to provide administrative support for grants and technical assistance to States and Indian Tribes, as determined necessary by the Administrator.
- “(4) PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS.—The recipient of assistance from a grant provided to a State under this subsection for a project assisted in whole or in part with the grant with a total cost of not less than $25,000,000 shall consent to a project labor agreement.
- “(14) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $5,200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2035.”. (b) Clerical amendment.—The table of contents for the Toxic Substances Control Act (Public Law 94–469; 90 Stat. 2003) is amended by striking the item relating to section 28 and inserting the following: “Sec. 28.
3. Reauthorization of healthy high-performance schools Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section reauthorizes grants for improving school environments, allowing funds to be used by states and Indian Tribes to address environmental issues in facilities like schools and child care centers. It expands public outreach and requires updated information on hazards to be made available to the public, with $10 million authorized annually from 2025 to 2035 for these efforts.
Money References
- . (d) Authorization of appropriations.—Section 505 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2695d) is amended by striking “There are authorized” and all that follows through “2013” and inserting “There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2035”.
501. Grants for healthy school environments Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section establishes grants for improving school environments, defining key terms like "eligible facility" and "environmental concern," and authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency and other government departments to work with States and Indian Tribes on addressing environmental issues in schools and child care facilities. It also emphasizes the development of state and tribal programs to manage environmental concerns, offering training and technical assistance, while allowing additional opportunities for Indian Tribes to receive funding.
4. Grants for indoor air and environmental health in educational settings Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines a program by the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants for improving air quality in schools and educational facilities. These grants aim to help states, tribes, territories, and federal agencies implement air quality management plans, offering financial aid, technical assistance, and resources to address poor indoor air conditions and environmental hazards.
Money References
- (h) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2035.