Bills
| 3.23.22

Should the EPA Update its Standards for Lead-Painted Houses? (S. 2631)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is S. 2631?

(Updated March 15, 2018)

This bill would set the unacceptable blood lead level at 5 micrograms per deciliter from 20 micrograms per deciliter. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would spread this information to the general public and create new regulations to enforce the new standards.

It would also require the HUD to perform tests for unacceptable lead levels on housing receiving federal assistance before families with children under age six move in. These checks would only be done on housing if the family is receiving federal assistance in some form (aside from mortgage insurance) and if the house was constructed before 1978. The checks can’t be only visual, and must include some kind of objective test for lead paint.

Additionally, the bill would ensure that if regulators find unacceptable amounts of levels in a house receiving federal assistance that already has a family living in it, HUD will relocate the family to a house without lead paint. This relocation would be immediate, without a wait list or other delays.

Argument in favor

This bill helps the economy and ensures that low income families with kids that live in federally assisted housing aren’t getting lead poisoning.

Argument opposed

Lead poisoning levels are already falling dramatically due to current regulations, so there’s no need to add more regulations.

Impact

Families living in certain types of federally assisted housing; the EPA; the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

Cost of S. 2631

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In Depth: Sponsoring Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) explained in a press release that updating federal lead standards would benefit both public health and the economy: 

“We have to bring these outdated lead standards up to date and consistent with the latest science.  More than that, we must invest in prevention which has unparalleled cost savings for society - every dollar spent on lead hazard control yields a return of $17 to $221 in savings.”

However, new regulations may not be necessary. Existing EPA regulations require that people buying homes constructed before 1978 are informed of any risks in the form of lead paint and are given the opportunity to have someone inspect the house for lead paint. This means the bill may not change much because of existing regulations.


Of Note: This isn’t the first bill to try to address lead poisoning. In 2007, a bill identical to the current one was introduced in the House, but it never made it to a vote. In 2008, Hillary Clinton reintroduced the bill to the Senate, with an accompanying bill in the House, but neither received a vote. The current bill also has a companion in the House, but neither has reached the floor yet for a vote.

Lead poisoning has dramatically decreased over the last 20 years. A CDC report from 2015 found that between 1997 and 2014, lead poisoning among American children fell from around 8 percent to less than 1 percent.


Media:

Summary by: Chris Conrad
(Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons)