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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="5-322" title_number="5" title_name="Financing" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="State Aid for School Construction">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “Fund” means the Healthy School Facility Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is a Healthy School Facility Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The purpose of the Fund is to provide grants to public primary and secondary schools in the State to improve the health of school facilities.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Interagency Commission on School Construction shall administer the Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any interest earnings of the Fund; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any interest earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>Money expended from the Fund is supplemental to and is not intended to take the place of funding that otherwise would be appropriated to primary and secondary schools under this article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>In each of fiscal years 2020 through 2022, the Governor shall appropriate at least $30,000,000 to the Fund.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>In fiscal year 2023, the Governor shall appropriate at least $40,000,000 to the Fund.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>In each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026, the Governor shall appropriate at least $90,000,000 to the Fund.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>For each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026, 50% of the funds appropriated under subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of this paragraph shall be awarded to public schools in Baltimore City.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the Interagency Commission on School Construction shall give priority in awarding grants to schools based on the severity of issues in the school, including:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Air conditioning;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Heating;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Indoor air quality;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Mold remediation;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>Temperature regulation;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>Plumbing, including pipe insulation to reduce condensation in order to prevent mold and the presence of lead in drinking water outlets in school buildings;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="7">
          <text>Windows;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="8">
          <text>Roofs; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="9">
          <text>Any additional severe issue in the school that required the school to be closed.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The amount of the grant is not required to cover the full cost of the project.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="k">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection and subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, the Interagency Commission on School Construction shall establish application procedures for school systems to request funds under this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Interagency Commission on School Construction shall establish award procedures to make awards distributed from the Fund not more than 45 days after receiving an application.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>The Interagency Commission on School Construction, in consultation with the Department of the Environment, shall establish application procedures for school systems to request funds under this section to assist with the costs of implementing remedial measures to address the presence of lead in drinking water outlets in school buildings.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The application procedures established under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall include procedures for prioritizing applications for plumbing projects, with priority first given to applications requesting funds for water fountains or bubblers, and then to applications requesting funds for:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Faucets or taps that are used or potentially used for drinking or food preparation;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Ice makers; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Hot drink machines.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>For Baltimore City, the school system shall establish a procedure to identify schools and submit eligible projects for awards by the Interagency Commission on School Construction for funding provided under subsection (j)(1)(ii) and (iii) of this section.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Interagency Commission on School Construction shall award grants to schools with eligible projects submitted in accordance with subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
