New York Laws
Article 9 - School Buildings and Sites
409-I - Procurement and Use of Environmentally-Sensitive Cleaning and Maintenance Products.

(a) "Elementary or secondary school" means a facility used for
instruction of elementary or secondary students by: (i) any school
district, including a special act school district and a city school
district in a city having a population of one hundred twenty-five
thousand inhabitants or more, (ii) a board of cooperative educational
services, (iii) a charter school, (iv) an approved private school for
the education of students with disabilities, (v) a state-supported
school for the deaf or blind operated pursuant to article eighty-five of
this chapter, and (vi) any other private or parochial elementary or
secondary school.
(b) "Environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products"
means those cleaning and maintenance products that minimize adverse
impacts on children's health and the environment.
(c) "Facility" means any school building or facility used for
instructional purposes and the surrounding grounds or other sites used
for playgrounds, athletics or other instructional purposes.
2. The commissioner of general services, in consultation with the
commissioner and the commissioners of environmental conservation, health
and labor, shall establish and from time to time amend guidelines and
specifications for environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance
products for use in elementary and secondary school facilities. For the
purpose of developing appropriate criteria for such guidelines and
specifications, such commissioners shall review and evaluate existing
research regarding environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance
products, including but not limited to, research and guidance issued by
the United States environmental protection agency and the office of the
federal environmental executive. In developing such guidelines, the
commissioner of general services shall provide public notice and an
opportunity to comment. Such guidelines shall be followed by elementary
and secondary schools to identify and procure environmentally-sensitive
cleaning and maintenance products which are available in the form,
function and utility generally used by elementary and secondary schools
in their facilities.
3. The commissioner of general services shall disseminate to all
elementary and secondary schools guidelines and specifications for the
purchase and use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance
products in elementary and secondary schools for use in their
facilities. The commissioner of general services shall also prepare and
disseminate to all elementary and secondary schools a sample list of
such environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products that
meet these guidelines or specifications. The commissioner of general
services shall provide assistance and guidance to elementary and
secondary schools in carrying out the requirements of this section.
Elementary and secondary schools shall follow such guidelines,
specifications and sample list when purchasing cleaning and maintenance
products for use in their facilities.
4. Elementary and secondary schools shall notify their personnel of
the availability of such guidelines, specifications and sample list.
5. On or before June first, two thousand seven, the department, in
consultation with the office of general services, shall issue a report
providing an analysis of the impact of such guidelines and
specifications on the purchasing, procurement and use of
environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products by
elementary and secondary schools. Nothing in this section shall preclude
an elementary or secondary school from depleting existing cleaning and

maintenance supply stores purchased prior to the effective date of this
section.