[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6404-6406]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL HEALTHY SCHOOLS DAY

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1280) expressing the support of the House of 
Representatives for the goals and ideals of National Healthy Schools 
Day, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1280

       Whereas there are approximately 55,000,000 children and 
     7,000,000 adults who spend their days in the Nation's more 
     than 125,000 public and private schools;
       Whereas children spend an average of 30 to 50 hours per 
     week in school;
       Whereas one-third of public school principals report that 
     some environmental factors interfere with classroom 
     instruction;
       Whereas some environmental hazards that are common in 
     schools include unsafe drinking water, ventilation problems 
     and poor indoor environmental quality which are associated 
     with a wide range of problems that include poor 
     concentration, poor attendance, lower student test scores, 
     respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other safety hazards;
       Whereas about 9 percent of the Nation's students have 
     asthma, which is a leading cause of school absenteeism and is 
     aggravated by poor air quality and ventilation problems;
       Whereas healthy and high performance schools are designed 
     to improve indoor environments and other environmental 
     factors by improving ventilation, providing for moisture and 
     mold controls, temperature and humidity controls, as well as 
     acoustics and noise controls, and other design elements;
       Whereas healthy and high performance schools provide a 
     healthier and safer learning environment for children and 
     improved academic achievement and well-being;
       Whereas National Healthy Schools Day is an important day to 
     celebrate and promote healthy and green school environments 
     for all children;
       Whereas National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by 
     Healthy Schools Network in collaboration with the 
     Environmental Protection Agency and the Council of 
     Educational Facility Planners--International and is 
     celebrated on the first day of School Building Week; and
       Whereas April 26, 2010, would be an appropriate day to 
     designate as ``National Healthy Schools Day'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the designation of National Healthy Schools 
     Day; and
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of this day which include 
     the promotion of healthy and safe places to learn.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 
1280 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1280, a resolution 
recognizing the goals and ideals of National Healthy Schools Day.
  Every year we celebrate National Healthy Schools Day to promote 
healthy and green school environments for all children. Across the 
country, more than 55 million children and 7 million adults spend their 
days in over 125,000 public and private schools in the United States. 
That is why it is essential that we recognize the importance of healthy 
learning environments. This year, National Healthy Schools Day 2010 
focuses on the importance of good indoor air quality, nontoxic cleaning 
supplies, and environmentally friendly building materials.
  The need for healthy schools is clear. Scientific studies show that 
poor environmental conditions in schools harm students' health and 
academic achievement. On the other hand, healthy schools help students 
reach their maximum potential. According to the United States 
Environmental Protection Agency, more than half of the schools in the 
U.S. have problems linked to unhealthy indoor air quality. Too many 
school districts struggle with the poor physical condition of their 
facilities, and this reality has only become worse because of the 
fiscal crisis affecting our country.
  Schools in urban and rural areas are often overcrowded, unhealthy, 
inadequately maintained, and reduce quality learning. Healthy school 
environments encourage better school attendance and participation. Kids 
who feel healthy are more likely to stay in school. Healthy schools 
also encourage students to spend time at school for extracurricular 
activities, which is a key part of President Obama's goal to make our 
schools the community centers that they should and could be. All 
students deserve dry, clean, and quiet facilities with good indoor air, 
lighting and sanitation.
  National Healthy Schools Day highlights simple steps we can take that 
can improve school environments for our children. This year's healthy 
schools campaign focuses on the importance of green, nontoxic cleaning 
products. Approximately 25 percent of chemicals in cleaning products 
used in schools are toxic and contribute to poor indoor air quality, 
smog, cancer, asthma and other diseases. Simply replacing toxic 
products with all natural cleaners could immediately improve the health 
of our students.
  Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
provides guides and assessments on their Web site to help schools 
improve indoor air quality. National Healthy Schools Day raises 
awareness of tools like these to help make our schools healthier and 
safer for kids.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution in support of National Healthy Schools 
Day serves to recognize the importance of healthy, safe, and green 
learning environments in our Nation's schools. I thank the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Tonko) for introducing this resolution, and I urge 
my colleagues to support this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1280 expressing the 
support of the House of Representatives for the goals and ideals of 
National Healthy Schools Day. Most parents recognize the importance of 
keeping their children healthy, and strive to do so. National Healthy 
Schools Day recognizes the important role that schools also play in 
keeping students healthy and ready to learn.
  Approximately 55 million children spend 30-50 hours a week in our 
Nation's schools. Local communities strive to make their school 
buildings places that support positive environments in which learning 
can thrive. For example, by taking steps to improve indoor air quality, 
school districts can decrease irritants in the air that may aggravate 
asthma and allergies in some children. Districts are also responsible 
for ensuring that school buildings are safe from physical danger and 
that all children will be protected during their time at school.
  National Healthy Schools Day promotes schools that support parents' 
efforts to ensure their children are safe and healthy whether at home 
or at school.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring local schools that 
meet the commitment to keeping all children healthy and safe.

[[Page 6405]]

  I have no additional requests for time, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Tonko), the author of this legislation, for as much 
time as he may consume.
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California and 
the gentleman from Wisconsin. I rise today in support of H. Res. 1280, 
a resolution that I introduced to recognize National Healthy Schools 
Day. National Healthy Schools Day recognizes the importance of having a 
clean, healthy and safe indoor environment in our Nation's schools.
  Each day millions of students, teachers, and staff go to work and 
school in our Nation's schools. Not all of these are healthy 
environments, especially for our young children. The EPA estimates that 
up to one-half of those schools have problems with indoor air quality. 
And 32 million students attend schools that have self-reported 
environmental problems with their facilities that can affect our 
children's health and learning.
  Indoor air quality is one of the most common environmental problems 
in schools, which can aggravate children's allergies and asthma 
problems. Nine percent of our Nation's schoolchildren have asthma, 
which is the leading cause of absenteeism in schools. Other common 
environmental problems in schools include mold infestations, lead and 
copper contaminated drinking water, playgrounds and classrooms with 
high levels of pesticides, unchecked furnaces and buses leaking carbon 
monoxide, and exhaust from gasoline-powered equipment.
  These problems affect the health of our Nation's schools and the 
people in them, and can contribute to absenteeism, learning 
difficulties, sick building syndrome, staff turnover, and liability 
issues for our school districts.
  Research shows that simple steps can be taken to make our schools 
healthier. Heating and ventilation equipment can be improved to enhance 
indoor air quality. New schools can be built with a healthy design at 
non-polluted sites, in more sustainable ways that reduce energy and 
maintenance costs. Nontoxic products can be used for cleaning, 
maintenance and teaching. The use of natural light can be improved.
  Healthy and high performance schools are designed to improve the 
indoor environment for the students and staff members who go to work 
and school in these buildings each and every day. They are more energy 
efficient and lead to better overall health. Many States, in fact, have 
already adopted guidelines for building healthy and high performance 
schools, like my home State of New York.
  National Healthy Schools Day draws attention to the importance of 
having a safe and healthy school environment for our Nation's students. 
National Healthy Schools Day is supported by the Healthy Schools 
Network, the EPA, the National Education Association, and many more 
organizations. I am proud to be counted as a supporter of National 
Healthy Schools Day, and look forward to continuing to work with my 
colleagues here to ensure that every student has a healthy environment 
in which to learn. After all, our children are the foundation for this 
country's great future. Shouldn't we be providing them with the safest 
and healthiest places to learn?
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this 
resolution recognizing National Healthy Schools Day authored by 
Congressman Tonko from New York, and recognizing the importance of 
ensuring healthy and green school environments for all of our children.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. 
Res. 1280, ``Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for 
the goals and ideals of National Healthy Schools Day.''
  Let me begin by thanking my colleague Representative Paul Tonko for 
introducing this piece of legislation into the House of Representatives 
as it is important that we diligently work towards the improvement of 
deteriorating public schools across the nation and also work towards 
the improvement of construction techniques in schools.
  The issue of environmental hazards in schools has been a growing 
problem over the last several decades. It is unfortunate that in 
schools across the nation investigators can find unchecked renovations, 
pesticide misapplications, unsafe drinking water, and indoor air 
pollutants such as mold infestations.
  It is unreasonable to think that our children can receive the best 
possible learning environment when they are expected to learn under 
these types of conditions.
  There are also a wide range of problems stemming from poor air 
quality and ventilation problems in schools. It has consistently been 
shown that these types of air quality problems can lead to poor 
concentration, respiratory illnesses, learning difficulties, and even 
cancer in students.
  Today there are approximately 55,000,000 children and 7,000,000 
adults who spend their days in the Nation's more than 125,000 public 
and private schools. Students and teachers also spend an average of 30 
to 50 hours per week in school.
  These numbers equate to nearly 20 percent of our nation's population 
spending their days in schools across the country--many of which are 
currently facing deterioration in the quality of their buildings while 
in the face of massive budget cuts. Therefore it is critical that we 
work together to seek comprehensive solutions to the trend of 
deteriorating schools in our nation.
  A recent study showed that approximately one-third of public school 
principals reported that some environmental factors in their schools 
have interfered with classroom instruction. This report highlights an 
increasingly troubling trend among schools of deteriorating 
environmental factors.
  In fact school facilities with poor building quality can result in 
lower test scores, poor attendance, and health problems for students 
and staff. These problems are only worsened for the nearly 9 percent of 
American students who are known to have asthma. Asthma is also the 
leading cause of absence from school and is aggravated by poor air 
quality and ventilation problems in schools.
  To meet these challenges, I believe that we should begin working with 
school districts across the nation towards the implementation of 
healthy and high performance schools.
  These types of schools would be designed to improve indoor 
environments while reducing energy and maintenance costs. They would 
also provide for an improvement in the quality of ambient light, would 
reduce exposures to toxic substances and would provide a healthier and 
safer learning environment for children.
  Healthy and high performance schools are designed with specific 
environmental factors in mind, such as pollutant source controls, 
proper ventilation mechanisms, and moisture and mold controls. It is 
imperative that school districts in our nation recognize the importance 
of these new construction and maintenance techniques and work to ensure 
the improvement of student and teacher health across the board.
  By officially designating April 26, 2010 as `National Healthy Schools 
Day,' we in Congress will be sending a strong message to students and 
teachers across the nation that we intend to provide healthy and safe 
buildings for students to learn in. We will also be sending a message 
to school districts across the nation that it is vitally important to 
build new schools with renewable resource materials and energy 
efficient appliances.
  We must always ensure that schools and children receive all the 
necessary tools for their continued growth. Furthermore it is vitally 
important that we continue to work with state and local agencies 
including independent school districts across the nation for the 
implementation of these measures in public schools.
  I would like to again thank my colleague Representative Paul Tonko 
for introducing H. Res. 1280. I ask my colleagues for their support of 
this legislation as well as their continued support for children, 
teachers and public schools across the nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H. Res. 1280 and the rule.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1280, 
a resolution expressing the support of the House of Representatives for 
National Healthy Schools Day. Unhealthy school environments have a 
traumatic effect of our students' health, learning, and productivity, 
and increase health care costs down the road. Fifty-five million 
students spend the week in American schools, and it is critical to our 
Nation's future that they be provided a safe and healthy learning 
environment.
  While we take time to recognize this important issue, I would like to 
acknowledge the work of the Healthy Schools Campaign, a Chicago-based 
not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and nurturing 
healthy

[[Page 6406]]

school environments. Under the leadership of Founding Executive 
Director Rochelle Davis, the Healthy Schools Campaign has been a 
champion and model in the push to develop healthy school meals, which 
studies show have a significant impact on the cognitive and behavioral 
well-being of students.
  We must work to ensure that every child born in this country has the 
opportunity to take advantage of its great resources. Guaranteeing a 
healthy school environment for all children will play a critical role 
in this effort, and I will continue to strongly support legislation and 
initiatives targeting that goal.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1280, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``Expressing 
support for designation of April 26, 2010, as National Healthy Schools 
Day.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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