HB 909 – Legionnaires’ Disease Prevention Act
Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe)
Summary
This bill requires DHHS to instruct owners and operators of certain buildings and facilities that they are required to establish and operate a water management plan that includes validation testing of water to minimize the growth and transmission of Legionella pneumophila in the covered building’s water system consistent with standards of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
This bill also requires owners/operators of covered buildings/facilities to conduct Legionella pneumophila culture sampling and analysis of the building’s water system if DHHS determines that one or more cases of Legionnaires’ disease are, or may be associated with, the building or for any other conditions specified in rules developed by DHHS.
This bill authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality to instruct each owner and operator of a public water system to (1) assess the risk of Legionella pneumophila in the public water system, (2) implement any necessary mitigations, and (3) implement routine sampling and testing of the public water system for the presence of Legionella pneumophila bacteria.
This bill also appropriates $100K in nonrecurring funds for the 2021-2022 fiscal year and $100K in nonrecurring funds for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to the Department of Environmental Quality to be used to conduct testing of the public water system for the presence of Legionella pneumophila bacteria.
Movement
Filed – 5/10/2021