- The ARC - California Edition -

Lead Poisoning Prevention

Five years ago, the legislators in Washington established a federal law which had as its goal that the LEAD in residential facilities would be greatly reduced.

This law was entitled "The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992". Its passage was part of a multi-faceted national effort to decrease the possibility of exposing young children to harmful amounts of the mineral LEAD.

In California, the state Department of Health Services has been charged with being responsible to meet the requirements of this federal law and to adopt regulations for that purpose. As a step in the federally mandated process, it is required for states to develop certain programs to assure that the reduction of LEAD exposure is achieved.

Under consideration by the state legislature during this session is a proposed comprehensive solution to the problem of abating LEAD-based paint in pre-1978 housing. The proposed measure, AB481 (Kuehl), would require owners of pre-1978 rental housing to take a number of maintenance steps regarding deteriorated paint.

The proposed plan includes removal and verification that the LEAD hazard no longer exists. For rental units built before 1940, the facility must pass an examination to certify that they are free of LEAD hazards within 3 years of the act's effective date. Newer units are allowed longer periods of time for corrective work.

This is an administration sponsored bill which has successfully cleared the Housing, the Judiciary, and the Appropriations committees of the Assembly. At this writing, the measure was awaiting a vote on the Assembly floor.