Bill > S2830

This bill, the Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water Act of 2016, amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to establish a new voluntary grant program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This program will provide grants to states, which will then assist local educational agencies—including traditional school districts, tribal education agencies, and operators of child care facilities—in voluntarily testing for lead contamination in drinking water at schools and child care programs. The bill defines "child care program" by referencing the Higher Education Act and "local educational agency" broadly to include various educational entities. The EPA is directed to establish this program within 180 days of enactment, and grants can be made directly to local educational agencies in states that do not participate or in direct implementation areas. Recipients of these grants must use the funds according to EPA guidance or comparable state regulations, and they are required to make testing results publicly available and notify relevant organizations. The bill also repeals a previous program that provided federal assistance for state programs related to lead contamination in school drinking water, and it authorizes $100,000,000 annually for fiscal year 2017 and beyond to carry out this new grant program.