(1) The Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services shall, by rule:
(a) Prohibit the installation of thermostats that contain mercury in commercial and residential buildings. The director may not, under rules developed pursuant to this paragraph, prohibit the installation of thermostats that contain mercury on industrial equipment used for safety controls.
(b) Establish a uniform notification and process for disposal and delivery of mercury thermostats by persons installing heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems. Persons installing heating, ventilation or air conditioning systems shall dispose of mercury thermostats according to the process established pursuant to this paragraph.
(2) As used in this section, “thermostat” means a device commonly used to sense and, through electrical communication with heating, cooling or ventilation equipment, control room temperature.