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Managing America: Health & Safety

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Week Ending August 1, 2008

H.R.6309 To amend the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 to define environmental intervention blood lead level and establish additional requirements for certain lead hazard screens, and for other purposes.

The Secretary of HUD is directed to report to Congress within 90 days on the status of the HUD program known as the Big Buy Reimbursement program, any other programs or planned programs through which HUD has conducted lead evaluations of housing. The report must state the purpose of the programs, the amounts allocated for each and the sources of funding for each, the number of properties and dwelling covered and actually assisted, the program status, explanations of why programs have not been completed, any enforcement actions taken against owners who were to held harmless and a timeline for completing the programs.

The bill would also set the Environmental Blood Lead Level for a child under 6 years of age to or greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter. The new level reduces the current level of 20 micrograms per deciliter or two consecutive measures of 15 to 19 micrograms of lead per deciliter. If the level breaches the allowed, the landlord must mitigate the hazard with dust removal or repainting.

The CBO estimates that the number of dwelling that would trigger the environmental intervention would average a 1200 per year increase through 2013. Each assessment averages $800.

Sponsor:  Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN-5^th)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote July 31, 2008

Cost to the taxpayers: “CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 6309 would cost $21 million over the 2009-2013 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts.”

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