I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2254 

To amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to ensure that children 

covered by the TRICARE program are screened and tested for lead 

levels, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 10, 2019 

Mr. KILDEE (for himself and Ms. SPEIER) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to ensure 

that children covered by the TRICARE program are 

screened and tested for lead levels, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. LEAD LEVEL SCREENINGS AND TESTINGS FOR 

4 CHILDREN. 

5 (a) TRICARE.— 

6 (1) WELL-BABY CARE.—Section 1077 of title 

7 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at 

8 the end the following new subsection: 


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1 ‘‘(i)(1) Beginning January 1, 2019, in furnishing 

2 well-baby care under subsection (a)(8), the Secretary shall 

3 ensure that such care includes the following: 

4 ‘‘(A) With respect to a child who lives in hous5 ing built before 1978 at any time during the first 24 

6 months of the life of the child— 

7 ‘‘(i) the first testing of the child for the 

8 level of lead in the blood of the child at approxi9 mately the age of 12 months; and 

10 ‘‘(ii) the second such test at approximately 

11 the age of 24 months. 

12 ‘‘(B) With respect to a child not covered by 

13 subparagraph (A) whose parent or guardian, at any 

14 time during the first 24 months of the life of the 

15 child, has a military occupational specialty that the 

16 Secretary determines poses an elevated risk of lead 

17 exposure— 

18 ‘‘(i) the first testing of the child for the 

19 level of lead in the blood of the child at approxi20 mately the age of 12 months; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) the second such test at approximately 

22 the age of 24 months. 

23 ‘‘(C) With respect to a child not covered by 

24 subparagraph (A) or (B)— 


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1 ‘‘(i) the first screening of the child for an 

2 elevated risk of lead exposure at approximately 

3 the age of 12 months; and 

4 ‘‘(ii) the second such screening at approxi5 mately the age of 24 months. 

6 ‘‘(D) With respect to a child covered by sub7 paragraph (C) whose screening indicates an elevated 

8 risk of lead exposure, testing of the child for the 

9 level of lead in the blood of the child. 

10 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that any care pro11 vided to a child pursuant to this chapter for lead poisoning 

12 shall be carried out in accordance with applicable advice 

13 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

14 ‘‘(3)(A) With respect to a child who receives a test 

15 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide the re16 sults of the test to the parent or guardian of the child. 

17 ‘‘(B) With respect to a child who receives a test under 

18 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide the results of 

19 the test and the address at which the child resides to— 

20 ‘‘(i) the relevant health department of the State 

21 in which the child resides if the child resides in the 

22 United States; or 

23 ‘‘(ii) the Centers for Disease Control and Pre24 vention if the child resides outside the United 

25 States. 


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1 ‘‘(C) In providing information regarding a child to 

2 a State or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

3 under subparagraph (B), the Secretary may not provide 

4 any identifying information or health information of the 

5 child that is not specifically authorized in such subpara6 graph. 

7 ‘‘(D) In this paragraph, the term ‘State’ means each 

8 of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Com9 monwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession 

10 of the United States.’’. 

11 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection 

12 (a)(8) of such section is amended by striking ‘‘in13 cluding well-baby care that includes one screening of 

14 an infant for the level of lead in the blood of the in15 fant’’ and inserting ‘‘including, in accordance with 

16 subsection (i), well-baby care that includes screen17 ings and testings for lead exposure and lead poi18 soning’’. 

19 (3) STUDY.—Not later than January 1, 2020, 

20 the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the con21 gressional defense committees (as defined by section 

22 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code) a report 

23 detailing the following: 

24 (A) The number of children who were test25 ed for the level of lead in the blood of the child 


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1 pursuant to subparagraph (A) of subsection 

2 (i)(1) of section 1077 of title 10, United States 

3 Code, as added by subsection (a), and of such 

4 number, the number who were found to have 

5 elevated blood lead levels. 

6 (B) The number of children who were test7 ed for the level of lead in the blood of the child 

8 pursuant to subparagraph (B) of such sub9 section (i)(1), and of such number, the number 

10 who were found to have lead poisoning. 

11 (C) The number of children who were 

12 screened for an elevated risk of lead exposure 

13 pursuant to subparagraph (C) of such sub14 section (i)(1). 

15 (D) The number of children who were test16 ed the level of lead in the blood of the child 

17 pursuant to subparagraph (D) of such sub18 section, and of such number, the number who 

19 were found to have elevated blood lead levels. 

20 (E) The treatment provided to children 

21 pursuant to chapter 55 of title 10, United 

22 States Code, for lead poisoning. 

23 (4) GAO REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 

24 2021, the Comptroller General of the United States 

25 shall submit to the congressional defense committees 


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1 a report on the effectiveness of screening, testing, 

2 and treating children for lead exposure and lead poi3 soning pursuant to chapter 55 of title 10, United 

4 States Code. 

5 (b) NOTIFICATION OF HOUSING.—Section 403 of 

6 title 37, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

7 end the following new subsection: 

8 ‘‘(p) RECORDS REGARDING HOUSING AND LEAD9 BASED PAINT.—(1) The Secretary concerned shall keep 

10 a record of whether the following housing was built before, 

11 during, or after 1978: 

12 ‘‘(A) Quarters of the United States under the 

13 jurisdiction of that Secretary concerned. 

14 ‘‘(B) A housing facility under the jurisdiction of 

15 that Secretary concerned. 

16 ‘‘(C) Other housing in which a member of the 

17 uniformed service of that Secretary concerned re18 sides. 

19 ‘‘(2) As a condition of receipt of a basic allowance 

20 for housing under this section, a member of the uniformed 

21 services shall notify the Secretary concerned whether the 

22 housing in which that member resides was built before, 

23 during, or after 1978.’’. 

Æ 


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