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6/4/2025
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Senate approves Chairman DiPalma’s school air quality bill
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STATE HOUSE – The Senate today approved legislation introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Louis P. DiPalma that would require recommended air quality standards for schools.
“How are our children expected to have a productive day at school if the air they are breathing is bad? This issue becomes even more pressing when we consider the age of some of our schools and what kinds of mold or other contaminants are floating around and being inhaled by our students. This bill is about the health, safety and well-being of Rhode Island’s children, who deserve educational environments with clean and safe air to breathe,” said Chairman DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton).
The legislation (2025-S 0977) would require that the Department of Health provide recommended air quality standards for schools. The bill would further provide that the Department of Education incorporate indoor air quality testing as part of the school building authority needs assessment conducted every five years. This act would also require that HVAC systems in schools achieve a MERV level of 13 or the highest level achievable by system design.
The bill now heads to the House for consideration, where Rep. Megan L. Cotter (D-Dist. 39, Exeter, Richmond, Hopkinton) has introduced the legislation (2025-H 5597).
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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