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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 22, 2016 01:58 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Wayne D. Fontana and Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen, Sen. Jay Costa, Sen. Art Haywood, Sen. John T. Yudichak, Sen. Vincent J. Hughes |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Lead Package: Water Tested for Lead for Agreement of Sale of Real Property |
| In the near future we plan to introduce a package of bills to address the recent reports surrounding elevated lead levels in the Commonwealth. News reports on the contaminated water supply in Flint, Michigan have brought the conversation about lead to the national forefront. We believe we must be proactive in analyzing Pennsylvania’s lead situation to protect our residents against the possibility of a Flint-like incident occurring here. A 2014 Department of Health study found that children in more than eighteen communities throughout the Commonwealth have tested positive for lead at levels higher than those in Flint. Some of the communities in that report are: Allentown, Altoona, Bethlehem, Erie, Johnstown, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Reading, and Scranton. While the tragedy in Flint focuses on the water supply, the dangers of lead in Pennsylvania also extend to our schools, day cares, and housing stock through lead-based paint. It is time we take action to analyze the commonwealth’s potential lead issues and ensure that our children and our communities are safe. This bill requires any agreement of sale for real property in this Commonwealth to include an option to have the water tested for lead. This would be similar to the current inspection contingency in a standard agreement of sale. Please join us in cosponsoring this bill. |
Introduced as SB19