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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 12, 2023 09:32 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative G. Roni Green and Rep. Tarik Khan, Rep. Jason Ortitay, Rep. Abby Major, Rep. Jim Haddock, Rep. Joe Hogan |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Removing Lead from Drinking Water in Schools |
| Soon, we plan to introduce legislation to address the severe concern of lead contamination in drinking water in Pennsylvania schools. Lead exposure at any level is unsafe for children. Recent reports show that 91% of Pennsylvania school districts tested positive for lead, with 98% of Philadelphia schools testing positive for lead in one or more outlets. Lead poisoning occurs too often in our Commonwealth and is especially harmful to children. The adverse effects on those exposed to lead under the age of 18 are well documented, and include:
Lead exposure can also lead to lower IQ and a higher risk of criminal behavior. These grave problems are entirely preventable. We seek to expand upon the positive start established in Act 39 of 2018, which encouraged schools to test for lead and provide a report to the Department of Education if findings were dangerous. Our legislation will make Pennsylvania a national leader in the fight against lead in school drinking water. This bill requires old drinking fountains to be replaced with lead-filtering water stations by 2025 and establishes funding to help school districts achieve this essential— and easily attainable—goal. We are working closely with stakeholders to explore how we can most effectively and responsibly implement this legislation's vision of providing clean, safe water for our students in rural, suburban, and urban schools across our Commonwealth Please join us in ensuring our children have clean, safe drinking water at school by co-sponsoring this critical legislation. |
Introduced as HB2011