Bill

Bill > HF2217


IA HF2217

IA HF2217
A bill for an act relating to radon testing in schools, including responsibilities of nonpublic schools, applicability to charter and innovation zone schools, establishing a school testing and mitigation of radon grant program within the department of education, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.


summary

Introduced
01/30/2026
In Committee
01/30/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

91st General Assembly

Bill Summary

This bill relates to radon testing for accredited nonpublic schools, public school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools. The bill establishes the school testing and mitigation of radon grant program within the department of education to provide grants to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to offset the costs of testing and mitigating radon in attendance centers. The bill requires the state board of education to adopt rules to administer the grant program, including rules relating to grant application materials, eligibility requirements, and award criteria. The state board is responsible for approving or rejecting applications submitted by school districts under the grant program. The bill establishes a school testing and mitigation of radon grant program fund in the state treasury. The bill also allows the state board of education to adopt emergency rules to administer the grant program. The bill requires accredited nonpublic schools to establish a radon plan and schedule for short-term tests for radon gas to be performed at each attendance center at least once by July 1, 2027, and at least once every five years thereafter. Short-term testing shall be performed between October 1 and March 31. The bill also requires accredited nonpublic schools to publish testing results on the school’s internet site in a timely manner, and requires school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to provide testing results to the department of health and human services. Testing results of school districts shall be considered public records under Code chapter 22 (open records). Further, the bill requires that each school district that was required to conduct short-term radon testing as of June 30, 2025, to provide an update of testing results to the department of health and human services by July 1, 2026. The bill imposes other responsibilities on accredited nonpublic schools related to testing for radon gas, including requiring testing by an employee that has completed a school radon testing training program. The bill requires the authorities in charge of the accredited nonpublic school to conduct a second short-term test for radon gas and radon decay products within 60 days of the first test, if the results of the first short-term test at an attendance center are at or above four picocuries per liter. If the averaged results of the first and second tests are at or above four picocuries per liter, the authorities in charge of the accredited nonpublic school shall employ a person to develop a mitigation plan that includes corrective measures and active mitigation, and may include further diagnostic testing, completed within two years of the first test. The bill requires charter schools and innovation zone school to be subject to the same testing, mitigation, and reporting requirements as public school districts in Code section 280.32. The bill takes effect upon enactment.

AI Summary

This bill establishes a grant program within the department of education to help schools, including public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, cover the costs of testing for and mitigating (reducing) radon gas in their buildings. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can be harmful to health, especially in enclosed spaces like schools. The bill requires the state board of education to create rules for this grant program, including how to apply, who is eligible, and how grants will be awarded. It also creates a dedicated fund for these grants, and any money not spent in a fiscal year will carry over. Accredited nonpublic schools will now have specific responsibilities, including developing a radon plan and conducting short-term radon tests at each school building by July 1, 2027, and every five years thereafter, with testing occurring between October 1 and March 31. These schools must also publish their testing results and provide them to the department of health and human services. If initial radon tests show levels at or above four picocuries per liter, a second test will be required within 60 days, and if the average of both tests remains high, a plan for mitigation, which includes corrective measures and active mitigation, must be developed and implemented within two years. Charter schools and innovation zone schools will follow the same radon testing, reporting, and mitigation rules as public school districts. The bill also requires that any school district already mandated to conduct radon testing by June 30, 2025, must submit an update of their results to the department of health and human services by July 1, 2026. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (11)

Last Action

Introduced, referred to Education. H.J. 184. (on 01/30/2026)

bill text


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