WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would ensure children enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are tested for lead poisoning at the appropriate ages. Lead hazards in a home pose serious health and safety threats to children and could cause irreversible and long-term health, neurological, and behavioral damage.

“Left unaddressed, lead poisoning can cause serious long-term health side effects in children and inhibit their ability to reach their potential. Testing is key to ensuring lead exposure is detected as early as possible,” said Sen. Menendez. “By expanding lead testing to all children enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, we can better detect and work to treat the adverse effects in children.”
“Lead poisoning continues to be an issue in the U.S. and Ohio is no exception — lead exposure risk from low-quality housing is especially high in Ohio, specifically in Cuyahoga County. Lead poisoning is extremely dangerous for young children, causing brain and nervous system damage, learning and behavior problems, and other serious health issues,” said Sen. Portman. “Currently only 38 percent of children on Medicaid receive their required lead screening tests, a number far too low. This bipartisan legislation aims to bring that number up by codifying current Medicaid regulations and expanding the requirements to all CHIP programs, while also helping states to better identify which efforts are needed to track potential cases of lead exposure.”
“Too many children in Ohio are being poisoned by their own homes, and too many Ohio families learn that their children have been exposed to toxic levels of lead only after they begin to experience symptoms,” said Sen. Brown. “We need to make sure that all children in Ohio receive the testing necessary to diagnose lead poisoning as early as possible and ensure appropriate follow-up care.”  

Lead poisoning causes significant health, neurological, behavioral, intellectual, and academic impairments. When absorbed into the body, especially in young children, lead can damage the brain and nervous system, stunt development and growth, and cause learning or behavioral problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead-based paint hazards, such as dust containing lead and chips from deteriorated lead-based paint, are the most common source of lead exposure for U.S. children.

Children with lead poisoning require ongoing medical treatment and may need special education services, and studies have demonstrated the profound impact of childhood lead poisoning on outcomes such as school graduation rates. Lead poisoning prevention preserves a child’s ability to reach his or her full potential.

Specifically, the Preventing Lead Poisoning Act of 2021:

 

·       Codifies 2016 guidance from Medicaid that requires all children enrolled in Medicaid receive a lead screening test at specific ages;

 

·       Creates parity to ensure all children enrolled in either Medicaid or CHIP are tested for lead by extending the existing lead testing protocols in Medicaid to standalone CHIP programs;
 

·       Strengthens reporting standards for both CHIP and Medicaid programs, and directs the CDC to publish best practices for states on data collection; and

·       Authorizes $5 million/year for FY22 and FY23 for the CDC to award grants for states to improve their reporting on childhood blood lead testing.

 

Congressman John Katko (N.Y.-24) is introducing companion legislation in the House. The text of the bill can be downloaded here.

 

Sen. Menendez has long fought for federal resources to remove lead from homes and ensure children are protected from the dangerous long-term health effects caused by lead poisoning.

Earlier this year, Sen. Menendez and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11) highlighted the federal funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that Bloomfield, N.J. is using to replace lead water pipes throughout the township. The Senator and Congresswoman were the chief sponsors of the SMART Act, which was the model for the state and local flexible funding that was allocated in the ARP.

Last year, Sens. Menendez and Cory Booker, along with Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) announced a $3.4 million Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction grant for the City of Paterson to remove lead paint in 65 low-income housing units with children. In 2019 and 2016, Sen. Menendez introduced the Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act.

Also in 2019, Sens. Menendez and Booker passed legislation to provide states with greater financial flexibility to upgrade their water infrastructure. Each year, Sen. Menendez fights for robust funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides low-cost financing for a wide range of water infrastructure development projects in New Jersey and across the country. The SRFs have been a focal point in efforts to address the lead crisis in drinking water across the country.

 

###