ASSEMBLY, No. 715
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION
By Assemblyman R. SMITH
An Act establishing a State lead toxicity awareness and information program, supplementing P.L.1985, c.84 (C.26:2-130 et seq.), and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that lead toxicity has long been known to cause severe, even irreversible damage to the renal system, red blood cells, and reproductive organs, as well as damage to the brain and nervous system, resulting in learning disabilities, mental retardation and even death; that, while lead toxicity affects persons of all ages, pre-school age children and fetuses are particularly at risk of permanent physical and mental impairment from even low level exposure; that in recognition of the dangers of lead toxicity, the federal and state governments have acted, among other things, to proscribe or limit the lead content of household paints, plumbing solder, motor fuels, and drinking water, and lead discharges to land, air and water; that despite these and other efforts, lead toxicity, or the threat of lead toxicity, remains a pervasive and serious environmental health problem and concern due to the residual presence of lead previously introduced into the environment, particularly through the use of lead-based paint and lead additives in motor fuels; that, while lead toxicity is often identified as a health problem of children from lower socio-economic families in deteriorating housing in older urban-suburban communities, the dangers of lead toxicity respects neither class nor geographical boundaries; that recent research has resulted in a substantial lowering of lead absorption levels, or the point at which serious physical and mental disabilities could occur; that a lower lead absorption level makes imperative the development of a State-wide preventive program; that lead toxicity prevention is socially, medically and economically a more desirable and cost-effective strategy than treating the oftentimes irreversible, adverse health effects of lead toxicity; that many of the major non-occupational sources of lead exposure may be found in or around the home; that lead toxicity is preventable and the exposure to lead sources, particularly in the interior or exterior of dwelling units, can be drastically reduced by simple housekeeping measures, and the abatement or sealing of lead-based paint; that a State program of lead poison prevention and lead source abatement cannot, however, be successful without the support and active involvement of the citizens of this State; and that public support and involvement requires an active Statewide informational program directed at heightening public awareness of the dangers of lead toxicity, and the opportunities for prevention and lead source abatement.
2. a. The Office for Prevention of Mental Retardation and Development Disabilities, in the Department of Human Services, established pursuant to P.L.1987, c.5 (C.30:1AA-10 et seq.), in consultation with the Departments of Health, Environmental Protection and Community Affairs, shall establish an inter-agency, State lead toxicity prevention awareness and information program to sensitize parents, teachers, health professionals, public officials, community leaders, neighborhood groups, homeowners, and renters to the health dangers of lead poisoning, particularly to infants and pregnant women living in high risk surroundings; to acquaint these target groups and the general public with the most common environmental sources of lead exposure; to inform them of lead toxicity detection and prevention measures, and of safe, cost-effective lead source abatement or elimination techniques that can be employed within the home, or in the neighborhood or community; and to encourage or help mobilize individual self-help, neighborhood and community actions to reduce public exposure to excessive lead levels.
b. The informational program components shall include:
(1) Collection of information and materials on lead toxicity, the treatment and prevention thereof, and on lead source abatement or elimination techniques;
(2) Preparation and periodic updating of multi-media informational materials to increase public awareness of: the health dangers of excessive lead exposure; possible lead sources within the home and in the community; symptoms and health effects of excessive lead exposure and lead toxicity; and the utility of blood-lead screening of children under six years of age and pregnant woman, particularly those residing in high risk communities, neighborhoods or dwellings, identified as having a higher-than-average risk of incurring lead toxicity. The material shall also identify lead toxicity prevention and lead abatement measures that can be taken to reduce or eliminate exposure to environmental sources of lead;
(3) Translation into Spanish or, as needed, other languages of core informational materials prepared pursuant to paragraph 2 of this subsection;
(4) Dissemination of the information collected or prepared pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) of this subsection to health professionals, schools (including nursery schools or child care centers), local public officials, community and neighborhood groups, and to homeowners or renters, with particular concentration on those segments of the population, communities or neighborhoods with a higher than average risk of exposure to excessive lead levels;
(5) Sponsorship, organization or coordination of State and regional conferences on lead poisoning issues and problems for health professionals, public officials, teachers, and the general public in order to heighten public awareness of the dangers therefrom, and of the availability of various diagnostic, treatment, prevention and abatement strategies or techniques; and
(6) Assisting and providing interagency technical support to local public officials and community and neighborhood groups in developing, publicizing or implementing local lead toxicity awareness, detection, treatment, prevention, and source abatement strategies.
3. There is appropriated from the "Lead Toxicity Detection and Prevention Fund," created pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. )(now pending before the Legislature as Assembly Bill No. 1857 of 1992), to the Office for Prevention of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, in the Department of Human Services, the sum of $50,000 for implementing the provisions of this act in the first calendar year following the effective date of this act
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The bill directs the Department of Human Services to establish a State lead toxicity awareness and information program. Among other things, the program would strive to sensitize parents, teachers, health professionals, public officials, community leaders, neighborhood groups, homeowners and renters to the health dangers of lead toxicity, and advise them of available detection, treatment, and source abatement techniques.
The purpose of the State lead toxicity awareness information program is to increase public sensitivity to the dangers of lead toxicity and to stimulate self-help measures by households, and neighborhood and community groups.
The bill makes a first-year, start-up appropriation of $50,000, to be combined with $150,000 in federal money to carry out the State program. The appropriation will allow the Office for Prevention of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities to greatly expand, both programmatically and geographically, its current lead prevention program.
Lead toxicity has long been acknowledged to be the single most important environmental source of mental retardation, and various learning disabilities among pre-school aged children, and a major childhood disease. Among the recommendations of The Governor's Council on the Prevention of Mental Retardation, established pursuant to Executive Order 72 of 1984, was the adoption of State programs for the prevention of lead toxicity, and the screening and treatment of pre-school aged children for elevated blood-lead levels (Programs for Preventing the Causes of Mental Retardation, 1985). In recognition of the public health dangers of lead toxicity, the council, which in 1987 was renamed the Governor's Council for Prevention of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, created an Interagency Task Force on Lead Poisoning Prevention. That task force has, in turn, adopted a proposed lead action agenda for implementation by the State. This bill, which is part of a package of lead toxicity bills, seeks to enact one of the major recommendations of the interagency task force.
The bill provides for an initial appropriation, from the "Lead Toxicity Detection and Prevention Fund" to be created pursuant to Assembly Bill No. 1857 of 1992.
Establishes a State lead toxicity awareness and information program; appropriates $50,000 from the "Lead Toxicity Detection and Prevention Fund."