WSB/1/8
Sponsored by Sky Huskey, Jonas Gregg of Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences
This legislation was filed in the Education category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms used in this act will be defined as follows: |
| 4 | a) Circadian Rhythm - The body’s regulation of the sleep-wake cycle that generally repeats every |
| 5 | 24 hours. |
| 6 | b) Cortisol - A hormone within the body that mainly controls mood, motivation, and fear. This |
| 7 | hormone also regulates blood pressure and contributes to productive sleep cycles. |
| 8 | c) Flicker - Rapid blinking of a light that goes unnoticed to the conscious human eye and has led to |
| 9 | headaches and eyestrain within both minors and adults. |
| 10 | d) Fluorescent Lighting - Lighting fixtures using fluorescent tubes or bulbs to emit light with a full |
| 11 | range of the color spectrum, primarily concentrated blue light. |
| 12 | e) Public Primary/Secondary Schools - Educational institutions serving students from kindergarten- |
| 13 | 12th grade, supported by government funds. |
| 14 | f) LED - A light emitting diode that uses electricity to create light rays. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Section 2: This law will require that all fluorescent lighting remaining within any primary or |
| 17 | secondary school operating within the state of Tennessee be removed from these buildings. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Section 3: LED light fixtures will be used to replace fluorescent bulbs within schools. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Section 4: The removal and replacement of fluorescent bulbs will occur in order to reduce |
| 22 | exposure to harmful light rays that have been proven to lead to increased cortisol levels and |
| 23 | altered circadian rhythms. Long-term exposure to these lights has led to reduced productivity and |
| 24 | increased fatigue within both students and teachers, causing performance issues in the school |
| 25 | community. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Section 5: LED lighting fixtures have been chosen to replace fluorescent fixtures due to their |
| 28 | effects on human health, which includes: reduced exposure to UV emissions alongside reduced |
| 29 | exposure to light flicker as well as a higher concentration of blue light. These positive benefits will |
| 30 | aid in dissolving eye strain and increasing productivity within the classroom through regulation of |
| 31 | cortisol levels and circadian rhythms that have previously been unbalanced due to the effects of |
| 32 | fluorescent lights. |
| 33 | |
| 34 | Section 6: The expenditures required for replacing fluorescent lighting systems will save the state |
| 35 | money long-term with LED lighting systems using up to 90% less energy than fluorescent systems |
| 36 | whilst being up to 44% more efficient in terms of energy spent to area lit. |
| 37 | |
| 38 | Section 7: The state will contract with electricians and other qualified individuals to obtain quotes |
| 39 | for the expected expenditures required to replace fluorescent lighting systems with LED fixtures in |
| 40 | schools throughout the state of Tennessee. |
| 41 | |
| 42 | Section 8: The expenditures required to cover the replacement of fluorescent lighting systems will |
| 43 | be sourced from Tennessee’s yearly education budget. |
| 44 | |
| 45 | Section 9: LED bulbs cost around $6-$8 per bulb. Paired with labour costs required to install new |
| 46 | lighting fixtures, an average school will pay an estimated $150,000 in order to remove and replace |
| 47 | fluorescent lighting systems. |
| 48 | |
| 49 | Section 10: The money spent to replace fluorescent lighting will act as investment for the state, in |
| 50 | which the money saved from more energy-efficient lighting systems will yield a net positive for the |
| 51 | state over the course of a few years. |
| 52 | |
| 53 | Section 11: All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. |
| 54 | |
| 55 | Section 12: This bill will take effect immediately upon passage. |
| 56 |