First Substitute S.C.R. 11

Senator John L. Valentine proposes the following substitute bill:

1 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON RADON GAS
2 2013 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: John L. Valentine
5 House Sponsor: Keven J. Stratton
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor designates January
10 2014, as Utah State Radon Action Month in the state of Utah and urges citizens to
11 prevent radon exposure.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 . designates January 2014, as Utah State Radon Action Month in the state of Utah;
15 . urges business owners and managers, landlords, real estate licensees, home
16 inspectors, home builders, mortgage lenders, real estate appraisers, trade
17 organizations, government agencies at the local and state level, community groups,
18 schools, colleges, universities, the medical establishment, and outlets in print media,
19 television, and radio to educate the citizens of the state in protecting themselves
20 from the dangers of elevated radon gas levels; and
21 . urges the citizens of the state of Utah to take steps to protect themselves from the
22 dangers of radon exposure.
23 Special Clauses:
24 None
25

26 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
27 WHEREAS, radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, tasteless gas that is caused by the
28 decay of uranium in soil;
29 WHEREAS, radon can seep into homes, schools, and office buildings through cracks
30 and other openings in the foundation;
31 WHEREAS, the United States Surgeon General warns that radon is the second leading
32 cause of lung cancer, next to smoking;
33 WHEREAS, even extremely high levels of radon in a structure can be reduced to safe
34 levels through proper methods of mitigation;
35 WHEREAS, the state of Utah bears a substantial portion of the health care costs related
36 to radon;
37 WHEREAS, the residents of Utah, including children, women, men, and the elderly are
38 all potentially at risk;
39 WHEREAS, it is estimated that as high as 30% of homes in Utah could have unsafe
40 levels of radon exposure;
41 WHEREAS, testing for radon gas is relatively simple and inexpensive; and
42 WHEREAS, the increased education and awareness of the harmful effects of radon
43 exposure will help save and preserve the lives of Utah residents:
44 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
45 Governor concurring therein, call upon all Utah property owners to have their structures tested
46 for radon exposure.
47 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon
48 businesses owners and managers to have their properties tested for radon exposure.
49 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon all
50 landlords to have their rental properties tested for radon exposure and to remediate any affected
51 properties.
52 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon real
53 estate licensees to use their access to buyers and sellers of real estate to inform them, by use of
54 a radon-specific Buyers Disclosure and Acknowledgment form approved by the Utah Division
55 of Real Estate, of the dangers and risks of radon exposure, encourage testing and remediation,
56 and educate the public about the dangers of radon.

57 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon home
58 inspectors to become informed on the issues related to radon exposure and testing and to
59 inform their clients about the dangers and risks of radon exposure, encourage testing and
60 remediation, and offer reasonable options to radon testing in their services.
61 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon all
62 home builders to inform buyers of the dangers and risks of radon exposure, encourage
63 remediation options where needed, use new radon-resistant construction methods, and make
64 these remediation options available and affordable.
65 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon all
66 other real estate professionals, including mortgage lenders and appraisers, to inform buyers and
67 sellers of real estate of the danger and risk of radon exposure by using the Utah Department of
68 Environmental Quality's radon awareness pamphlet at the time that a contract is signed by the
69 purchaser, and encourage purchasers and sellers of real estate to conduct radon concentration
70 tests.
71 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon trade
72 organizations to actively educate their members regarding the dangers of radon exposure, the
73 need for radon testing, and to use their resources to help educate the public on radon exposure.
74 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon the
75 print media, television, and radio outlets to responsibly report on the issues related to radon
76 exposure, testing, and remediation.
77 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon
78 businesses to make available radon test kits at a reasonable price to the public and to provide
79 staff who are informed on radon testing issues.
80 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon
81 government agencies at the local and state levels to provide information and resources to help
82 educate the public on the issues of radon exposure and create programs and policies to help
83 property owners test for radon and remediate elevated levels of radon gas, including
84 distributing a copy of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality's radon awareness
85 pamphlet at the time that a building permit is issued.
86 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon
87 community groups to take on the cause of informing the public about the dangers associated

88 with radon exposure and provide information about testing and remediation options.
89 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon all
90 schools, colleges, and universities to actively participate in educating the public about the
91 dangers associated with radon exposure.
92 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon the
93 medical establishment to take every effort available to inform the public of the health risks
94 associated with radon exposure, including the commissioning of studies, publications, and
95 outreach programs.
96 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor designate January
97 2014, as Utah State Radon Action Month in the state of Utah.
98 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the major print,
99 television, and radio outlets in the state of Utah.

[Bill Documents]