NY State Senate Bill 2019-S7268

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 15, 2020	referred to health

co-Sponsors

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A9545
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §1110, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S2122, A160

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to standards for and testing of potable water in school buildings; eliminates certain exemptions; sets minimum standards and requires training.

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S7268

SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to school potable
water testing

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill would expand water testing in schools, including increasing
testing frequency, removing testing exemptions, setting action levels,
and increasing disclosure of information

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends Public Health Law (PHL) 1110 to:

* Change required school water testing for lead from "periodic" to annu-
al;

* Require that tap water provided by school districts be free to school
occupants;

* Remove exemptions for certain schools from testing;

* Set the lead action level at 0.005 milligrams per liter;

* Require that laboratory reports be made public as part of existing
disclosure requirements for testing results; and

* Require training of those responsible for the testing.

Section 2: Effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that drinking water in schools is
safe and free of lead contamination. Children are particularly vulner-
able to the harmful effects of lead, so much so that the experts from
the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, and the World Health Organization agree that there is no
safe level of lead for children. High lead levels in children can bring
lifetime problems including reduced cognitive function, learning disa-
bilities, and aggressive behavior.

The data from the first round of lead testing in schools under New
York's landmark 2016 law demonstrate that our school children are drink-
ing water that contains lead. More than 82% of public schools reported
at least one drinking water tap that exceeded the action level, current-
ly set in regulation at 0.015 milligrams per liter - Washington, DC,
Illinois, and Vermont are all lower at 0.004 or 0.005, while the Ameri-
can Academy of Pediatrics recommends 0.001.

Current law allows exemptions from lead testing for schools deemed "lead
free" under federal requirements. However, the federal definition of
"lead free" allows up to 0.25% of lead in pipe materials to be lead;
federal law from 1986 to 2014 allowed up to 8% lead in "lead-free"
plumbing; and there were no federal restrictions before 1986. The past
deeming of a school as "lead free" is no guarantee of safety and should
not allow an exemption from testing.

This bill would make several improvements to New York's existing program
by reducing the action level; requiring annual (rather than "periodic")
testing; removing waivers and exemptions for certain schools; requiring
lab reports to be posted online; and requiring training for school
personnel or contractors involved in testing.  These measures will
further protect our children from the devastating effects of lead
contamination.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Additional school funding would be required to support additional test-
ing and remediation efforts

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
One year after it shall have become a law

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7268
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 15, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in  relation  to  school  potable
   water testing
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 1110 of the public health law, as added by  chapter
 296 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
   §  1110. School potable water testing and standards. 1. In addition to
 school districts already classified as a public water system under parts
 141 and 142 of title 40 of the code  of  federal  regulations,  as  such
 regulations  may,  from  time to time, be amended, every school district
 and board of cooperative educational services shall  conduct  [periodic]
 ANNUAL  first-drawn  tap testing of potable water systems to monitor for
 lead contamination in each occupied school building under its  jurisdic-
 tion  as  required  by regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.
 The testing shall be conducted and the results analyzed by an entity  or
 entities approved by the commissioner.
   2.  Where a finding of lead contamination is made, the affected school
 district shall: (a) continue first-drawn tap water testing  pursuant  to
 regulations  promulgated  pursuant  to  this section; (b) provide school
 occupants with an adequate supply of safe, FREE TO THE SCHOOL OCCUPANTS,
 potable water for drinking as required by rules and regulations  of  the
 department  until  future  tests  indicate lead levels pursuant to regu-
 lations promulgated pursuant to this section; and (c) provide parents or
 persons in parental relation to a child attending said school with writ-
 ten notification of test results [as well as posting such  test  results
 on the school district's website].
   3. [First-drawn tap testing shall not be required for school buildings
 that  have  been  deemed  "lead-free"  as defined by section 1417 of the
 federal safe drinking water act.
   4.] The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of  educa-
 tion,  shall  promulgate regulations to carry out the provisions of this
 section. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14731-01-0

 S. 7268                             2
 
 regulations promulgated with regard to lead levels shall  be  consistent
 with  the requirements for those school districts classified as a public
 water system under parts 141 and 142 of title 40 of the code of  federal
 regulations  as  such  regulations  may,  from time to time, be amended;
 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE LEAD ACTION LEVEL IS EXCEEDED IF THE CONCEN-
 TRATION OF LEAD IS GREATER THAN 0.005 MILLIGRAMS PER LITER.
   [5. The commissioner may grant a waiver from the testing  requirements
 of  this section for certain school buildings, provided that, the school
 district has substantially complied with the  testing  requirements  and
 has  been  found  to  be  below lead levels as determined by regulations
 promulgated pursuant to this section for such buildings.
   6.] 4. Each school  district  and  board  of  cooperative  educational
 services  conducting testing pursuant to subdivision one of this section
 and each school district classified as a public water system under parts
 141 and 142 of title 40 of the code  of  federal  regulations,  as  such
 regulations may, from time to time, be amended, shall make a copy of the
 results  of all such testing, INCLUDING LABORATORY REPORTS, and any lead
 remediation plans available to the public on its website and  any  addi-
 tional  means  as  chosen by such district. A copy of the results of all
 testing shall also be immediately  transmitted  to  the  department  and
 state  education  department in a format to be determined by the commis-
 sioner and to the county department of health in the local  jurisdiction
 of  the  school  building. The commissioner of education, in conjunction
 with the commissioner, shall publish a report biennially  based  on  the
 findings   from  the  tap  water  testing  conducted  according  to  the
 provisions of this section. Such report shall be sent to the commission-
 er, the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker
 of the assembly and shall be made  available  on  the  department's  and
 state education department's websites.
   5.  THE  COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCA-
 TION, SHALL PROVIDE AND REQUIRE ANNUAL TRAINING OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL  AND
 CONTRACTORS  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  CARRYING  OUT  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF THIS
 SECTION, AND PROVIDE A RECORD THAT REQUIRED TRAINING WAS COMPLETED.
   § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become  a
 law.    Effective  immediately the commissioner of health may make regu-
 lations and take other actions necessary to implement this act.

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Senate Bill S7268

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

co-Sponsors

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Details

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S7268

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Sponsored By

Gustavo Rivera

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

co-Sponsors

Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.

Todd Kaminsky

Jose M. Serrano

Toby Ann Stavisky

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Details

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S7268 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments