Connecticut Lead Paint Changes Effective January 1, 2023
House Bill No. 5045 Public Act No. 22-49 AN ACT REDUCING LEAD POISONING.
Lowers the required reporting of elevated lead blood levels from 10mcg/dL to 3.5mcg/dL
Read the full article.
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2022/ACT/PA/PDF/2022PA-00049-R00HB-05045-PA.PDF
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: Section 1. Section 19a-110 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2023):
(a) Not later than forty-eight hours after receiving or completing a report of a person found to have a level of lead in the blood equal to or greater than [ten] three and one-half micrograms per deciliter of blood or any other abnormal body burden of lead, each institution licensed under sections 19a-490 to 19a-503, inclusive, and each clinical laboratory licensed under section 19a-30 shall report to (1) the Commissioner of Public Health, and to the director of health of the town, city, borough or district in which the person resides: (A) The name, full residence address, date of birth, gender, race and ethnicity of each person found to have a level of lead in the blood equal to or greater than [ten] three and one-half micrograms per deciliter of blood or any other abnormal body burden of lead; (B) the name, address and telephone number of the health care provider who ordered the test; (C) the sample collection date, analysis date, type and blood lead analysis result; and (D) such other information as the commissioner may require, and (2) the health care provider who ordered the test, the results of the test. With respect to a child under three years of age, not later than seventy-two hours after the provider receives such results, the provider shall make reasonable efforts to notify the parent or guardian of the child of the blood lead analysis results. Any institution or laboratory making an accurate report in good faith shall not be liable for the act of disclosing [said] such report to the Commissioner of Public Health or to the director of health. The commissioner, after consultation with the Commissioner of Administrative Services, shall determine the method and format of transmission of data contained in [said] such report.
(b) Each institution or laboratory that conducts lead testing pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall, at least monthly, submit to the Commissioner of Public Health a comprehensive report that includes: (1) The name, full residence address, date of birth, gender, race and ethnicity of each person tested pursuant to subsection (a) of this section regardless of the level of lead in the blood; (2) the name, address and telephone number of the health care provider who ordered the test; (3) the sample collection date, analysis date, type and blood lead analysis result; (4) laboratory identifiers; and (5) such other information as the Commissioner of Public Health may require. Any institution or laboratory making an accurate report in good faith shall not be liable for the act of disclosing [said] such report to the Commissioner of Public Health. The Commissioner of Public Health, after consultation with the Commissioner of Administrative Services, shall determine the method and format of transmission of data contained in [said] such report.
(c) Whenever an institutional laboratory or private clinical laboratory conducting blood lead tests pursuant to this section refers a blood lead sample to another laboratory for analysis, the laboratories may agree on which laboratory will report in compliance with subsections (a) and (b) of this section, but both laboratories shall be accountable to [insure] ensure that reports are made. The referring laboratory shall [insure] ensure that the requisition slip includes all of the information that is required in subsections (a) and (b) of this section and that this information is transmitted with the blood specimen to the laboratory performing the analysis.
(d) The director of health of the town, city, borough or district shall provide or cause to be provided, to the parent or guardian of a child who is (1) known to have a confirmed venous blood lead level of [five] three and one-half micrograms per deciliter of blood or more, or (2) the subject of a report by an institution or clinical laboratory, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, with information describing the dangers of lead poisoning, precautions to reduce the risk of lead poisoning, information about potential eligibility for services for children from birth to three years of age pursuant to sections 17a-248 to [17a-248g] 17a248i, inclusive, and laws and regulations concerning lead abatement. The director of health need only provide, or cause to be provided, such information to such parent or guardian on one occasion after receipt of an initial report of an abnormal blood lead level as described in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection. Such information shall be developed by the Department of Public Health and provided to each local and district director of health. [With]
