Bill > HB916

This bill amends the Childhood Blood Lead Test Act to enhance lead poisoning prevention, assessment, and testing requirements for children and pregnant women in Pennsylvania. The bill adds important legislative findings, including the acknowledgment that no safe blood lead level in children has been identified and that lead poisoning effects are not reversible. It expands definitions related to lead testing, including more precise definitions of blood lead levels (measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter), diagnostic testing, and lead poisoning criteria. The bill requires healthcare providers to conduct blood lead tests for children by 24 months of age and for pregnant women as part of prenatal care, with specific provisions for confirmatory testing if elevated lead levels are detected. Healthcare providers must also perform screening tests for high-risk children and make reasonable efforts to educate parents about testing. The legislation mandates that hospitals and healthcare facilities provide educational materials about lead poisoning to parents, require signed acknowledgment of receiving this information, and ensure health insurance policies cover screening tests, lead-screening-related services, and diagnostic evaluations for children under 72 months and pregnant women. The bill aims to improve early detection and awareness of lead poisoning risks, with provisions to make testing more comprehensive and accessible across the state.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=916