Students are healthier and learn better when their indoor air is cleaner. When children don’t have asthma symptoms triggered by poor air quality, they are more likely to focus, engage, and excel at school.
On July 25, 2024, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act (H.R. 9131). This bipartisan bill aims to improve school environments for children to learn and grow safely.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) was thrilled to work with Rep. Tonko as he drafted the legislation. AAFA proudly endorses the bill.
What the Bill Aims to Achieve
The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act is designed to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools and child care facilities. It directly addresses this major cause of asthma attacks among children. Children miss almost 14 million school days missed each year due to asthma. This bill seeks to create environments where children are less likely to be exposed to asthma triggers. This will improve health and learning for all children, but especially for children with asthma.
Key Provisions of the Bill
- Enhanced EPA responsibilities: The bill defines the role of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Indoor Environments Division and tasks it with developing guidelines for IAQ. This ensures that schools and child care facilities have clear standards to follow for having healthy indoor air.
- Indoor air quality assessments: The EPA is required to conduct national assessments of IAQ in educational and child care buildings. This will provide a clearer understanding of the current state of indoor air and highlight areas that need improvement.
- Guidance and technical assistance: The bill requires the EPA to offer guidance, best practices, and technical assistance to help schools and child care centers improve their IAQ.
- Healthy building certifications: The bill introduces voluntary certifications for buildings that meet certain standards in maintaining healthy indoor air. This not only encourages schools to strive for better IAQ but also helps parents and caregivers to identify safe environments for their children.
Why This Matters to the Asthma Community
Asthma affects over 4.5 million children in the United States, with 2 out of 5 having at least 1 asthma attack each year. Poor indoor air quality can greatly worsen asthma symptoms. This leads to more health risks and missed school days. By improving IAQ, we can help reduce these risks, ensuring that children with asthma can attend school more regularly and participate fully in their education.
How You Can Support This Bill
The Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act is crucial for the well-being of children with asthma and allergies. Join AAFA today in asking your House representative to support the bill.
Use our tool below to send a message to your representative. Together, we can create safer, healthier spaces for our children to learn and thrive. Just follow the steps:
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