Senator Hardiman's statement is as follows:
I rise to ask you to support these bills addressing the issues of lead poisoning and the harm to children. The medical evidence for the damage from exposure to lead is very clear. While lead-based paint has been banned since 1978, it still holds in older homes in our poor neighborhoods and quietly spreads to new generations of young children. These children will grow up with the additional challenges of learning, speech disabilities, and brain damage. It has been said that when there is lead poisoning, there is brain damage that is irreversible. These bills before us will not solve all the problems with lead paint. We have to eventually deal with funding remediation, but I support them as an important step and ask my colleagues to do the same.
Let me mention the bills that are before us. Senate Bill No. 753 creates a childhood lead poisoning prevention and control commission. This commission would draw on the knowledge and experience of a broad group of experts on lead issues and will make further recommendations to the Legislature and the administration. This bill is sponsored by Senator Scott. Senate Bill No.755 will require clinical laboratories to submit their research on blood samples to the Department of Community Health electronically, sponsored by Senator Hammerstrom. Senate Bill No. 756 will establish lead-safe housing registry where properties that are clean of lead can be listed for perspective buyers or renters to review, sponsored by myself. Senate Bill No. 757 will require property owners and landlords to show good faith compliance in cleaning up lead hazards and would penalize those who don't, sponsored by Senator Clarke.
In addition, the Family and Human Services Committee is still reviewing Senate Bill No. 754, to require HMOs to provide more screening of children. We are trying to do so while not discouraging HMOs from participating in Medicaid. I am hopeful that we can reach a good compromise in the very near future. This is sponsored by Senator Schauer. He has been helpful in that process.
These are good bills put forth by the Governor and are supported by both caucuses and committee. I am hopeful that they will be a part of a meaningful response to the lead hazards. I ask members to please support these important bills.