Florida Senate - 2022                                     SB 676
       
       
        
       By Senator Cruz
       
       
       
       
       
       18-00259-22                                            2022676__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to drinking water in public schools;
    3         creating s. 1013.29, F.S.; providing legislative
    4         findings; defining terms; subject to legislative
    5         appropriation, requiring district boards to coordinate
    6         with district school boards to identify certain
    7         schools and to provide funding to those schools by a
    8         specified date; requiring school districts, as
    9         applicable, to install filters that meet certain
   10         specifications on drinking water sources; requiring
   11         school districts, as applicable, to post signage on
   12         certain water sources and requiring school districts
   13         to publish specified information on school district
   14         websites; authorizing district boards to request
   15         additional funding to compensate school district staff
   16         for the installation or replacement of filters;
   17         limiting the additional funding to not more than the
   18         amount appropriated; requiring the State Board of
   19         Education to adopt rules; providing an appropriation;
   20         providing an effective date.
   21          
   22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   23  
   24         Section 1. Section 1013.29, Florida Statutes, is created to
   25  read:
   26         1013.29 Prevention of lead in drinking water in public
   27  schools; installation of water treatment units.—
   28         (1) The Legislature finds that:
   29         (a) The adverse health effects of lead exposure in children
   30  and adults are well documented and that no safe blood lead level
   31  in children has been identified;
   32         (b) Lead accumulates in the body and can be ingested from
   33  various sources, including water sources used for drinking, food
   34  preparation, or cooking; and
   35         (c) All sources of lead should be controlled or eliminated
   36  to prevent childhood lead poisoning.
   37         (2) As used in this section, the term:
   38         (a) “District board” has the same meaning as in s.
   39  153.52(3).
   40         (b) “Drinking water source” means any water source used for
   41  drinking, food preparation, or cooking, including, but not
   42  limited to, water fountains, ice makers, and kitchen sinks.
   43         (c) “Point of use filter” or “filter” means a water
   44  filtration system that treats water at a single tap.
   45         (3) By June 30, 2023, subject to the appropriation of funds
   46  by the Legislature, each district board shall coordinate with
   47  its local district school board to determine which district
   48  schools were built before 1986 and shall provide funding to
   49  those schools for the purposes specified in this section. As
   50  applicable, each school district shall:
   51         (a) Install a point of use filter that reduces the lead
   52  content in drinking water on each drinking water source and
   53  maintain such filters in a manner consistent with the
   54  manufacturer’s recommendations.
   55         1. The filter must be installed by a school district staff
   56  member.
   57         2. The filter or all of its component parts must meet the
   58  NSF International/American National Standards Institute Standard
   59  53: Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects.
   60         3. The filter must have a certified capacity of 7,900
   61  gallons and, at a minimum, must be changed or replaced annually.
   62         (b) Post a conspicuous sign near each school water source
   63  that is not a drinking water source. The sign must include
   64  wording and an image that clearly communicate that water from
   65  the source should not be used for human consumption or, if
   66  applicable, for food preparation or cooking.
   67         (c) Publish on its website a list of drinking water sources
   68  at such schools. At a minimum, the list must include, for each
   69  drinking water source, all of the following:
   70         1. The date on which the current filter was installed.
   71         2. The date on which the current filter is scheduled to be
   72  replaced.
   73         3. The location of each drinking water source.
   74         4. Any actions necessary to comply with the requirements of
   75  this section which have been completed or are pending.
   76         (4) Each district board may request additional funds for
   77  the purpose of compensating school district staff for the
   78  installation or replacement of filters. Funds provided pursuant
   79  to this subsection may not be more than the total appropriation
   80  provided to implement this section.
   81         (5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
   82  administer this section.
   83         Section 2. For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the sum of $3
   84  million in nonrecurring funds is appropriated from the Drinking
   85  Water Revolving Loan Trust Fund to district boards, as defined
   86  in this act, for the purpose of implementing s. 1013.29, Florida
   87  Statutes, as created by this act.
   88         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.