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IN SB0615
Bill
Status
1/15/2019
Primary Sponsor
Jean Breaux
Click for details
AI Summary
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Primary health care providers must screen children under 6 years old for lead poisoning risk and order blood tests when risk factors are present, including Medicaid eligibility, living in high-risk ZIP codes, or residing in pre-1978 buildings with deteriorating paint
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Children with blood lead levels of 5+ micrograms per deciliter trigger mandatory public health investigations for those under 6 years old; levels of 10+ micrograms per deciliter require onsite inspections of the child's home, child care center, or school
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Property owners and managers must remediate identified lead hazards using approved methods (paint removal, enclosure, encapsulation, soil covering) within 90 days and pass a clearance examination conducted by a licensed examiner
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Noncompliance with lead hazard control orders results in prohibition of property use as a residence, child care center, or school, with warning signs posted at entrances; tampering with posted signs is a Class B misdemeanor
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Clinical laboratories must report all children's blood lead test results to the state health commissioner within 7 calendar days, and results are recorded in the state immunization registry
Legislative Description
Lead poisoning of children. Requires the state department of health to develop and distribute to primary health care providers a one page informational form that sets forth a series of questions for a child's family concerning the child's exposure to lead and directs a primary health care provider to have a child's blood tested for lead if the child's family gives certain answers to the questions. Requires a primary health care provider who provides well child health care services to a child less than six years of age to recommend a blood lead screening test under certain circumstances and to order a blood lead screening test under certain circumstances. Provides an exception if the parents of the child object to the blood lead screening test on religious grounds. Establishes requirements for blood lead screening tests and confirmatory blood lead screening tests. Requires a clinical laboratory that performs an analysis of the blood of a child for lead to report the results to the state health commissioner (commissioner). Provides that the commissioner, when provided test results showing that a child has a blood lead level of at least five micrograms per deciliter, is required to order a public health lead investigation to determine the source of the child's lead poisoning if the child is less than six years of age, and may order a public health lead investigation if the child is more than six but less than 16 years of age. Provides that the public health lead investigation must include an onsite investigation of the child's residential unit, child care center, or school if the child has a blood lead level of at least 10 micrograms per deciliter. Provides that the commissioner must require a public health lead risk assessment of a child's residential unit, child care center, or school upon determining that the property is a possible source of the child's lead poisoning. Provides that if the public health lead risk assessment indicates that one or more lead hazards in the residential unit, child care center, or school are contributing to a child's lead poisoning, the commissioner shall issue an order to have each lead hazard controlled. Requires the owner or manager of the residential unit, child care center, or school to choose from among certain acceptable methods to control each lead hazard specified in the commissioner's order. Requires the commissioner to issue a noncompliance order prohibiting the use of the property if the owner or manager of the residential unit, child care center, or school does not comply with the lead hazard control order. Requires the commissioner to lift a lead hazard control order when all lead hazards specified in the control order have been sufficiently controlled.
Last Action
First reading: referred to Committee on Health and Provider Services
1/15/2019