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ployee has brought to the attention of the public information concerning any asbestos problem in the school buildings within the jurisdiction of such agency.

[20 U.S.C. 4018]

SEC. 510. AFFECT ON RIGHTS UNDER OTHER LAWS.

Except as otherwise provided in section 508, nothing in this title shall

(1) affect the right of any party to seek legal redress in connection with the purchase or installation of asbestos materials in schools or any claim of disability or death related to exposure to asbestos in a school setting; or

(2) affect the rights of any party under any other law.

[20 U.S.C. 4019]

SEC. 511. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this title:

(1) The term "asbestos" means—

(A) chrysotile, amosite, or crocidolite; or

(B) in fibrous form, tremolite, anthophyllite, or actinolite.

(2) The term "Attorney General" means the Attorney General of the United States.

(3) The term "threat" or "hazard" means that an asbestos material is friable or easily damaged, or within reach of students or employees or otherwise susceptible to damage (including damage from water, vibration, or air circulation) which could result in the dispersal of asbestos fibers into the school environment.

(4) The term "local educational agency" means

(A) any local educational agency as defined in section 198(a)(10) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and

(B) the governing authority of any nonprofit elementary or secondary school.

(5) The term "nonprofit elementary or secondary school"

means

(A) any elementary or secondary school as defined in section 198(a)(7) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 owned and operated by one or more nonprofit corporations or associaions no part of the net earnings of which inures, or may lawfully inure, to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual; and

(B) any school of any agency of the United States. (6) The term "school buildings" means—

(A) structures suitable for use as classrooms, laboratories, libraries, school eating facilities, or facilities used for the preparation of food;

(B) any gymnasium or other facility which is specially designed for athletic or recreational activities for an academic course in physical education;

(C) other facilities used for the instruction of students, for research, or for the administration of educational or research programs; and

(D) maintenance, storage, or utility facilities essential to the operation of the facilities described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of this paragraph.

(7) The term "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, or the Administrator's designee.

(8) The term "State" means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

(9) The term "response action" has the meaning given such term by section 202(11) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15) U.S.C. 2642(11).

[20 U.S.C. 4020]

SEC. 512. AUTHORIZATION.

(a)(1) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the asbestos abatement program not more than $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995. In addition, for such purposes and for each of such fiscal years there are authorized to be appropriated out of the Asbestos Trust Fund established by section 5 of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 (20 U.S.C. 4022) such sums as are contained in such trust fund in each of such fiscal years.

(2) The sums appropriated under this title shall remain available until expended.

(b)(1) A State with qualified applicants shall receive no less than one-half of 1 per centum of the sums appropriated under this title or the total of the amounts requested by such applicants, whichever is less. Those amounts available in each fiscal year under this paragraph shall be obligated before the end of that fiscal year. For the purposes of this paragraph the term "State" means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and, taken together, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

(2) Of those sums appropriated for the implementation of this title, not more than 5 percent may be reserved during each fiscal year for the administration of this title and for programs including (but not limited to) the following:

(A) The establishment of training centers for contractors, engineers, school employees, parents, and other personnel to provide instruction, in accordance with title II of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2641 et seq.), on asbestos assessment and abatement.

(B) The development and dissemination of abatement guidance documents to assist in evaluation of potential hazards and the determination of proper abatement programs.

(C) The development of rules and regulations regarding inspection, reporting, and recordkeeping.

(D) The development of a comprehensive testing and technical assistance program.

(3) Of those sums appropriated for any fiscal year for the implementation of this title, the Administrator may use not more than 5 percent to provide grants to States for the following purposes:

(A) Assisting local educational agencies in performing the periodic reinspections and training activities required under title II of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2641 et seq.).

(B) Establishing and maintaining programs to accredit personnel performing asbestos inspections and response actions.

[20 U.S.C. 4021]

ASBESTOS SCHOOL HAZARD DETECTION AND CONTROL

ACT OF 1980 1

SHORT TITLE

SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control Act of 1980".

[20 U.S.C. 3601 note]

FINDINGS AND PURPOSES

SEC. 2. (a) The Congress finds that—

(1) exposure to asbestos fibers has been identified over a long period of time and by reputable medical and scientific evidence as significantly increasing the incidence of cancer and other severe or fatal diseases, such as asbestosis;

(2) medical evidence has suggested that children may be particularly vulnerable to environmentally induced cancers;

(3) medical science has not established any minimum level of exposure to asbestos fibers which is considered to be safe to individuals exposed to the fibers;

(4) substantial amounts of asbestos, particularly in sprayed form, have been used in school buildings, especially during the period 1946 through 1972;

(5) partial surveys in some States have indicated that (A) in a number of school buildings materials containing asbestos fibers have become damaged or friable, causing asbestos fibers to be dislodged into the air, and (B) asbestos concentrations far exceeding normal ambient air levels have been found in school buildings containing such damaged materials;

(6) the presence in school buildings of friable or easily damaged asbestos creates an unwarranted hazard to the health of the school children and school employees who are exposed to such materials;

(7) the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as several States, have attempted to publicize the potential hazards to school children and employees from exposure to asbestos fibers, but there is no systematic program for identifying hazardous conditions in schools or for remedying those conditions;

(8) because there is no Federal health standard regulating the concentration of asbestos fibers in noncommercial workplace environments such as schools, school employees and students may be exposed to hazardous concentrations of asbestos fibers in the school buildings which they use each day;

1 The Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control Act of 1980 (20 U.S.C. 3601-3611) is Public Law 96-270 (June 14, 1980; 94 Stat. 487).

(9) without an improved program of information distribution, technical and scientific assistance, and financial support, many local educational agencies and States will not be able to mitigate the potential asbestos hazards in their schools; and

(10) the effective regulation of interstate commerce for the protection of the public health requires the establishment of programs under this Act to identify and mitigate hazards from exposure to asbestos fibers and materials emitting such fibers. (b) It is the purpose of this Act to

(1) direct the Secretary of Education to establish a task force to assist States and local educational agencies to ascertain the extent of the danger to the health of school children and employees from asbestos materials in schools;

(2) require States receiving administrative funds for any applicable program (as defined under section 400(c)(1)(A) of the General Education Provisions Act) to prepare a plan describing the manner in which information relating to programs established under this Act shall be distributed to local educational agencies;

(3) provide scientific, technical, and financial assistance to State educational agencies and local educational agencies to enable them to conduct an asbestos detection program to identify asbestos hazards in schools;

(4) provide loans to local educational agencies for the mitigation of asbestos hazards which constitute an imminent hazard to the health and safety of school children and employees; and

(5) assure that no employee of any local educational agency suffers any disciplinary action as a result of calling attention to potential asbestos hazards which may exist in schools. [20 U.S.C. 3601]

TASK FORCE

SEC. 3. (a)(1) There is established a task force to be known as the Asbestos Hazards School Safety Task Force (hereinafter in this Act referred to as "Task Force"). The Task Force shall be composed of ten members, who shall be appointed by the Secretary within 30 days after the effective date of this Act, as follows:

(A) One representative of the Department of Education, recommended by the Secretary of Education.

(B) One representative of the Department of Health and Human Services.

(C) One representative of the National Cancer Institute. (D) One representative of the Environmental Protection Agency, recommended by the Administrator of such agency.

(E) One representative of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

(F) One representative of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, recommended by the Secretary of Labor.

(G) Four representatives from among organizations concerned with education and health.

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