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US HR4694

US HR4694
Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2016


summary

Introduced
03/03/2016
In Committee
03/04/2016
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2017

Introduced Session

114th Congress

Bill Summary

Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2016 This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to promulgate regulations to update the standards for lead-contaminated dust and lead-contaminated soil, in accordance with health-based standards. The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 is amended to define elevated blood lead level as the lower of: 5 mg/dL (micrograms of lead per deciliter), or the most recent definition for elevated blood lead level or reference range level in children ages 1 through 5 set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill also removes 0-bedroom housing from the definition of target housing. The Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act is amended to direct HUD to promulgate regulations that: require an initial lead-based paint hazard risk assessment before a family with a child under age six occupies certain housing, unless lead-based paint has already been removed; and state that a visual assessment is not sufficient for these purposes. These regulations shall apply to housing receiving federal assistance that was constructed before 1978, but exclude: single-family housing covered by an application for mortgage insurance from the Federal Housing Administration, or multi-family housing covered by such an application but does not receive any other federal housing assistance. HUD regulations shall also require emergency relocation of such families, without placement on a waitlist, penalty, or lapse in assistance, to another unit of covered housing that has no lead-based paint hazards. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on lead hazards in federally assisted housing.

AI Summary

This bill, the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2016, aims to protect children from lead exposure in housing by updating existing regulations and requiring new safety measures. It directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish new, health-based standards for lead-contaminated dust and soil. The bill also redefines an "elevated blood lead level" to be the lower of 5 micrograms per deciliter or the most current guideline set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for children aged 1-5, which is a critical threshold for identifying lead poisoning. Furthermore, it removes "0-bedroom housing" from the definition of target housing, meaning certain studio apartments will no longer be exempt from lead-based paint regulations. For housing receiving federal assistance and built before 1978, HUD will be required to implement regulations mandating a lead-based paint hazard risk assessment before a family with a child under six moves in, unless lead paint has already been removed; a simple visual inspection will not be enough. In cases where lead hazards are found, these families must be offered emergency relocation to safe housing without delays or loss of assistance. The bill also mandates that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress on lead hazards in federally assisted housing, analyzing current issues and potential improvements.

Committee Categories

Business and Industry

Sponsors (28)

Last Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. (on 03/04/2016)

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