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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 2, 2018 10:11 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Judith L. Schwank |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Lead-testing in Daycare facilities |
| I will shortly introduce legislation to require lead testing at child daycare programs. This was previously introduced by former Senator Kitchen as SB 18 during the 2015-2016 General Assembly as part of a package on lead levels in that session. A Department of Health study in 2014 found that children in more than eighteen communities across the Commonwealth faced higher exposure to lead than those that had drawn national attention in Flint, Michigan. Among the communities identified were Allentown, Altoona, Bethlehem, Erie, Johnstown, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Reading, and Scranton. The dangers of historic lead use occur in paint, water, dust and soil in older homes and buildings across the state where many daycare programs operate. It is important to identity and address the potential lead issues in such circumstances because children, especially younger ones, face particular risks in their development. My bill would require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to include lead testing of water, paint, soil and dust in the licensing process for child daycare programs. It would prohibit licensing of any child daycare program while lead levels exceeds those recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control. Current licensees would be required to develop an approved remediation program. I hope you will join me in providing this protection for our children. |
Introduced as SB1051