While green cleaning bills recently passed through the state houses in Illinois and Missouri, Maryland rejected a green cleaning act for the state’s schools.

The Illinois bill would require all buildings owned by the state to create a green cleaning policy. The policy requires buildings to purchase and use environmentally sensitive products consistent with the guidelines established with the Green Cleaning for Schools Act.

The Missouri legislature passed a bill requiring K-12 schools to create a green cleaning policy, beginning with the 2009-10 school year. The policy is tailored after the Illinois Green Cleaning Schools Act and is part of Senate Bill 1181.

The bill was sent to Governor Matt Blunt at the end of May, but the governor has yet to sign the bill. If signed, the act creates guidelines on environmentally sensitive products such as cleaning-product formulations and other jan/san products.      

In Maryland, a bill requiring public schools to use green cleaning supplies and adopt specifications for green cleaning supplies failed to pass during the legislative session.