(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Covered school” means a school district, a county office of education, a charter school, a private school, the California Community Colleges, or the California State University.
(2) “HVAC” means heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
(3) “MERV” means minimum efficiency reporting values.
(b) (1) A covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, ensure that facilities, including, but not limited to, classrooms for students, have HVAC systems that meet the minimum ventilation rate requirements set forth in Table 120.1-A of Part 6 (commencing with Section 100.0) of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, unless the existing HVAC system is not capable of safely and efficiently providing the minimum ventilation rate.
(2) If a school’s existing HVAC system is not capable of safely and efficiently providing the minimum ventilation rate required pursuant to paragraph (1), then a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, ensure that its HVAC system meets the minimum ventilation rates in effect at the time the building permit for installation of that HVAC system was issued. In addition, the covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, document the HVAC system’s inability to meet the current ventilation standards set forth in paragraph (1) in the annual HVAC inspection report required by Section 5142 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, which shall be available to the public upon request.
(c) (1) Subject to paragraph (2), a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, install filtration that achieves MERV levels of 13 or higher to the extent determined to be feasible and appropriate for the existing HVAC system, as determined by the school.
(2) If, pursuant to paragraph (1), it is determined that the existing HVAC system is not designed to achieve MERV levels of 13 or higher, a covered school shall, and the University of California is requested to, install filtration that achieves the highest MERV level that the school determines is feasible without significantly reducing the lifespan or performance of the existing HVAC system.
(d) Upon the next triennial update of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), the California Building Standards Commission and the Division of the State Architect shall research, develop, and propose for adoption mandatory standards for carbon dioxide monitors in classrooms of a covered school and the University of California.
(e) This section shall apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by resolution, make it applicable.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 777, Sec. 2. (AB 2232) Effective January 1, 2023.)