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[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1419 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1419

     To authorize research and evaluation programs for monitoring, 
detecting, and abating lead based paint and other lead exposure hazards 
                  in housing, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 18, 1993

  Mrs. Morella (for herself and Mr. Lewis of Florida) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on 
         Science, Space, and Technology and Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
     To authorize research and evaluation programs for monitoring, 
detecting, and abating lead based paint and other lead exposure hazards 
                  in housing, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) lead is a naturally occurring element which has been 
        used in a variety of industrial applications including 
        radiation shields, storage batteries, paint, and gasoline;
            (2) 1 in 6 United States children are victims of lead 
        poisoning, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and 
        Disease Registry;
            (3) lead poses a significant environmental health problem 
        since adverse effects have been conclusively demonstrated at 
        relatively low exposures;
            (4) lead exposures to children under age 7 are of greatest 
        concern because of its association with significant neurotoxic 
        effects, including reduction in intelligence, attention span 
        deficits, and reading and learning disabilities;
            (5) the quantity of lead in house dust appears to be the 
        best single indicator of lead levels in the blood of an infant;
            (6) past efforts to abate lead-based paint have relied on 
        methods which endangered workers and often resulted in more 
        available lead dust for the occupants;
            (7) improving methods for testing and abating lead-based 
        paint offers a highly cost effective means of reducing 
        exposures and thus preventing childhood lead poisoning; and
            (8) the efforts of the Federal Government to develop and 
        disseminate information on the most effective techniques to 
        lower human exposure to lead should be improved.

SEC. 2. DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Emerging Technologies Research.--The Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the heads of 
other appropriate Federal agencies, shall develop methods for 
conducting evaluations of lead detection products and techniques. The 
Administrator shall make available to the public the results of any 
evaluations conducted by such methods as the results of the evaluations 
become available.
    (b) Standardization.--Within 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, in consultation with the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, shall establish protocols, criteria, 
and minimum performance standards to be used in the evaluations 
described in subsection (a) and to ensure reliable, accurate, and 
effective lead detection technologies.

SEC. 3. LEAD EXPOSURE IN CHILDREN.

    The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 
consultation with the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, 
shall conduct a long-term research study to establish the sources of 
lead exposure for children under the age of seven years. The research 
shall, to the greatest extent possible--
            (1) establish profiles for the percentage of such children 
        who have an exposure to a particular lead source (such as lead-
        based paint and dust from lead-based paint), and the particular 
        route of such exposure (such as drinking water, food, air, and 
        soil);
            (2) establish the percentage of each particular kind of 
        exposure and route of exposure described in paragraph (1); and
            (3) be broken down by region, economic strata, and any 
        other demographic feature the Administrator considers to be 
        appropriate.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON ABATEMENT AND IN-PLACE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES.

    The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency and the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall carry 
out research studies to evaluate which practices and techniques are 
most effective in reducing human exposure to lead. The research studies 
shall emphasize the development of new technologies and shall address 
the cost effectiveness of such practices and techniques. The 
Administrator shall make available to the public the results of such 
studies as the results become available.

SEC. 5. LEAD REMOVAL AND CONTAINMENT PRODUCTS.

    (a) Research.--The Director of the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, in consultation with the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency and the heads of other appropriate 
Federal agencies, shall conduct research on the safety, efficacy, 
durability, and other relevant performance properties of lead removal 
and containment products.
    (b) Standardization.--Within 24 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology shall establish performance criteria and standards for lead 
removal and containment products.

SEC. 6. PUBLIC EDUCATION.

    The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 
cooperation with other appropriate Federal agencies, shall sponsor 
public education and outreach efforts to increase awareness of the 
scope, severity, and sources of lead exposure. The Administrator shall 
focus such public education and efforts in a manner which provides, to 
the greatest extent possible, information to the children for whom 
profiles are established in section 3 about the particular kind and 
route of lead exposure of such children.

SEC. 7. USE OF CLEARINGHOUSE AND TELEPHONE HOTLINE.

    The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
ensure that any information which is made available to the public 
pursuant to this Act is made available through the clearinghouse and 
hotline established pursuant to section 405(e) of the Toxic Control 
Substances Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) in addition to any other means 
of availability the Administrator considers to be appropriate.

SEC. 8. STATE PROGRAMS.

    (a) Grant Assistance.--The Governor of a State may apply to the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for a grant to 
compile (particularly through the use of questionnaires) data on lead 
exposure in the State, to coordinate with other States the collection 
of such data in order to build a national data base on lead exposure, 
and to carry out public outreach programs on lead exposure.
    (b) Grant Management.--
            (1) Criteria for selection.--In selecting States for grants 
        under subsection (a) the Administrator shall review--
                    (A) the previous experience of the State in 
                addressing lead exposure and lead exposure data 
                collection issues;
                    (B) the seriousness of the lead exposure issues 
                identified by the State; and
                    (C) the State standards for techniques and 
                practices to reduce human exposure to lead.
            (2) Availability of sufficient funding.--In selecting 
        States for grants under subsection (a), the Administrator shall 
        focus resources to ensure that sufficient funds are available 
        to selected States to provide for comprehensive collection and 
        coordination of lead exposure data and for sufficient public 
        outreach programs.
            (3) Federal share of funding.--The Federal share of grants 
        under subsection (a) shall not exceed 75 percent of the costs 
        incurred by the State to carry out the activities described in 
        such subsection and shall be made on the condition that the 
        non-Federal share is provided from non-Federal funds.
            (4) Availability of funds.--Funds granted pursuant to 
        subsection (a) in a fiscal year shall remain available for 
        obligation for that fiscal year and for the next following 
        fiscal year.
            (5) Limitation on receipt of grant in following year.--No 
        grant shall be made under this section in any fiscal year to a 
        State which in the preceding year received a grant under this 
        section unless the Administrator determines that such State 
        satisfactorily implemented such grant activities in such 
        preceding fiscal year.
            (6) Information required in grant application.--States 
        shall provide such information in applications for grant 
        assistance and pertaining to grant funded activities as the 
        Administrator requires.
    (c) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Administrator 
shall coordinate with the Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology.

SEC. 9. REPORTS.

    Not later than 24 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
jointly submit to the Congress an initial report detailing the 
activities undertaken by the Director and the Administrator pursuant to 
this Act, including the results of studies conducted pursuant to this 
Act and any recommendations for administrative and legislative action 
that the Director and the Administrator consider appropriate. After 
submission of the initial report, the Director and the Administrator 
shall submit to the Congress an update of the initial report as often 
as the Director and the Administrator consider necessary.

                                 <all>
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