HB 25-1245

House Bill 25-1245 requires schools in Colorado to meet specific standards when using federal funds from the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" for improving their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This includes conducting detailed assessments of HVAC systems, making necessary repairs or upgrades based on recommendations by engineers, and ensuring that only certified contractors perform this work unless no suitable options are available. The bill ensures better indoor air quality and energy efficiency in schools, affecting all local education providers like school districts and charter schools. Since the bill has been signed into law, these requirements are now enforceable and must be followed when using federal funds for HVAC improvements.

Official Summary

The act requires a school district, a charter school, an institute charter school, a board of cooperative services, or the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind (local education provider) to satisfy certain requirements concerning installation, inspection, and maintenance of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in schools if the local education provider undertakes HVAC infrastructure improvements using money from the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" cash fund. The requirements established in the act concern: Ventilation verification assessments, which include assessments of an HVAC system's filtration, ventilation exhaust, economizers, demand control ventilation, air distribution and building pressurization, general maintenance requirements, and operational controls ; The preparation of HVAC assessment reports; The review of HVAC assessment reports by mechanical engineers, who make recommendations regarding necessary repairs and improvements, suggest pathways to reduce emissions, and estimate associated costs; HVAC adjustments, repairs, upgrades, and replacements; and The preparation of HVAC verification reports, which must be maintained for at least 5 years and made available to the public upon request. The act establishes mandatory criteria that an HVAC contractor must satisfy in order to perform work described in the act. A local education provider that undertakes HVAC infrastructure improvements using money from the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" cash fund must do so using only contractors on the certified contractor list established by the department of labor and employment, unless the local education provider determines that there were no responsive, eligible subcontractors available to fulfill the mechanical, electrical, or plumbing portions of the contract. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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