HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1201
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating to health.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds it is well-established that lead poisoning is a serious problem that can cause permanent health damage, including intellectual disabilities, learning and behavior problems, high blood pressure, damage to the brain, nervous system, kidneys, and red blood cells, as well as coma and death in severe cases. Even at low levels, lead exposure can result in adverse health effects, especially in young children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood lead poisoning is preventable, and the agency has renewed the emphasis on prevention as the effects of lead appear to be irreversible.

Though the reported number of children in Hawaii with elevated blood lead levels has decreased over time, elevated blood lead levels among children continue to be a concern. An additional concern is that the percentage of the State's children who are screened for lead exposure is estimated to be only one-third of the children that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends to be screened, which means that the blood lead levels of the unscreened children are unknown and untreated.

The department of health has the primary responsibility in the State to address lead hazards and poisoning and has administered a variety of programs and initiatives including the childhood lead poisoning prevention program. In 2006, the department of health produced the "Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Guidelines" to provide information and resources on childhood lead poisoning and guidance on risk assessment and the management of children with elevated blood lead levels. A key aspiration of the Guidelines was to reach the goal of total elimination of elevated blood lead levels in children, as part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services' comprehensive, nationwide health promotion and disease prevention agenda, "Healthy People 2010." The State still has not met the goal of total elimination, and the department of health's lead prevention efforts have been severely limited by the loss of its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding.

The purpose of this Act is to keep Hawaii's children safe from lead hazards and lead poisoning by supporting comprehensive outreach by the department of health to community agencies, health care providers, and families.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2019-2020 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for lead poisoning prevention activities.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2019.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Department of Health; Lead Poisoning Prevention; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates moneys for the department of health's lead poisoning prevention activities.

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