TEST for Lead Act

Bill: 114-s-2776
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2016-04-11
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Child health

Educational facilities and institutions

Elementary and secondary education

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Environmental health

Government lending and loan guarantees

Hazardous wastes and toxic substances

Water quality

Water resources funding

Water use and supply
Latest action: action_date: 2016-04-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-04-11
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Transparent Environment in School Testing for Lead Act or the</b> <b>TEST for Lead Act </b></p> <p>This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to: (1) allow funds from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to be used to train school personnel on issues relating to lead contamination in drinking water and to assist in lead remediation efforts, and (2) condition a state's receipt of funding from such Fund on the state establishing a program to test for lead in school drinking water.</p> <p>Program requirements include testing water from: (1) faucets used for food preparation, (2)sinks in bathrooms, and (3)drinking water coolers.Testing must be conducted at least biannually at schools built prior to 1996 and at least annually at schools built in 1996 or after.</p> <p>Additionally, local education agencies must notify parents or guardians, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state in which they are located, the local municipal government, and local health agencies within 48 hours if a level of lead exceeds the EPA's lead action level.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2776 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 11, 2016 Mr. Booker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to condition the receipt of funds by a State for a drinking water treatment revolving loan fund on the State carrying out a program to test for lead in drinking water for schools.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Transparent Environment in School Testing for Lead Act or the TEST for Lead Act . 2. Testing for lead in drinking water for schools (a) Use of funds Section 1452(a)(2) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–12(a)(2) ) is amended— (1) in the first sentence, by striking Except and inserting the following: (A) In general Except ; (2) in the second sentence, by striking Financial and inserting the following: (B) Financial assistance Financial ; (3) in the third sentence, by striking The funds and inserting the following: (C) Loans to public water systems The funds ; (4) in the fourth sentence, by striking The funds and inserting the following: (D) Lead contamination The funds may be used— (i) to train school personnel on issues relating to lead contamination in drinking water; and (ii) in the case of a level of lead that exceeds a lead action level in the drinking water of a school, to assist the relevant local educational agency with lead remediation activities. (E) Limitation The funds ; and (5) in the fifth sentence, by striking Of the amount and inserting the following: (F) Public water systems serving fewer than 10,000 persons Of the amount . (b) Programs To test lead contamination in schools Section 1464(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–24(d) ) is amended— (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: (1) Programs to test lead contamination in schools To be eligible to receive funds under section 1452, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the TEST for Lead Act , a State (as defined in section 1401(13)(A)) shall carry out a program, consistent with this section, to assist local educational agencies in testing for lead contamination in drinking water from sources of lead contamination at schools under the jurisdiction of the local educational agencies. ; (2) by striking paragraph (3); (3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); (4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following: (2) Testing requirements A program carried out under paragraph (1) shall require testing of drinking water, including testing of water from faucets used for food preparation, sinks in lavatories, and drinking water coolers, for lead— (A) at schools built prior to 1996, at least biannually; and (B) at schools built in 1996 or after, at least annually. ; and (5) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by paragraph (3))— (A) in the first sentence— (i) by striking A copy and inserting: (A) In general A copy ; and (ii) by inserting under a program carried out before under paragraph (1) ; (B) in the second sentence, by striking The local and inserting the following: (B) Notification The local ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (C) Emergency notification If a level of lead that exceeds a lead action level, as identified by the Administrator, is discovered in drinking water at a school pursuant to testing under a program carried out under paragraph (1), not later than 48 hours after the discovery of the elevated lead level, the local educational agency with jurisdiction over the school shall make a good faith effort to provide notification of the elevated lead level to— (i) the parents or guardians of each child enrolled in the school; (ii) the Administrator; (iii) the State; (iv) the local municipal government; and (v) local health agencies. .