This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the “Lead-Safe Schools Protection Act.”
Article 4Lead-Safe Schools Protection Act
Section § 32240
This part of the law is officially designated as the "Lead-Safe Schools Protection Act." It establishes the name of the law, making it easy to reference.
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Section § 32241
This law requires the State Department of Health Services to conduct a survey of public schools in California. The survey aims to identify risk factors for lead contamination in schools that represent the state's diverse regions and sizes. Factors considered include the school's location, age of the building, potential use of lead paint, number of young children enrolled, and lead screening results. The term 'schools' refers to public elementary schools, preschools, and day care facilities on school property.
(a)CA Education Code § 32241(a) The State Department of Health Services shall conduct a sample survey of schools in this state for the purpose of developing risk factors to predict lead contamination in public schools. The survey shall include schools that are representative of the state by geographical region and size of enrollment. The schools to be surveyed shall be selected on the basis of their ability to provide data necessary to make scientifically valid estimates of the nature and extent of lead hazards. Risk factors shall include, but are not limited to, location in relation to high-risk areas, age of the facility, likely use of lead paint in or around the facility, numbers of children enrolled under the age of six, and results of lead screening programs established pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 105275) of Part 5 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code.
(b)CA Education Code § 32241(b) For purposes of this article, “schools” mean public elementary schools, public preschools, and public day care facilities.
(c)CA Education Code § 32241(c) For purposes of this article, “public preschools” and “public day care facilities” mean preschools and day care facilities, respectively, located on public school property.
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Section § 32242
This section outlines the responsibilities of a department in identifying and addressing lead contamination in schools. They must design a strategy to find high-risk schools for lead presence and conduct surveys to assess lead exposure from various sources, like paint and drinking water. Results are reported to school principals and further shared with teachers, staff, and parents. The department should make recommendations to the Legislature on the need for statewide testing and develop proper testing methods. They should also evaluate cost-effective lead removal technologies and create guidelines for schools to manage lead hazards during repairs.
The department shall do all of the following:
(a)CA Education Code § 32242(a) Design and implement a strategy for identifying the characteristics of high-risk schools and provide a basis for statewide estimates of the presence of lead in schools attended by young children.
(b)CA Education Code § 32242(b) Conduct a sample survey, as described in Section 32241, to determine the likely extent and distribution of lead exposure to children from paint on the school, soil in play areas at the school, drinking water at the tap, and other potential sources identified by the department for this purpose. To the maximum extent possible, limited sample testing shall be used to validate survey results. The department shall compile and summarize the results of that survey and report those results to the Legislature and the State Department of Education.
(c)CA Education Code § 32242(c) Within 60 days of the completion of testing a schoolsite, the department shall notify the principal of the school or director of the schoolsite of the survey results. Within 45 days of receiving the survey results, the principal or director, as the case may be, shall notify the teachers and other school personnel and parents of the survey results.
(d)CA Education Code § 32242(d) Make recommendations to the Legislature and the State Department of Education, based on the survey results and consideration of appropriate federal and state standards, on the feasibility and necessity of conducting statewide lead testing and any additional action needed relating to lead contamination in the schools.
(e)CA Education Code § 32242(e) As deemed necessary and appropriate in view of the survey results, develop environmental lead testing methods and standards to ensure the scientific integrity of results, for use by schools and contractors designated by schools for that purpose.
(f)CA Education Code § 32242(f) Evaluate the most current cost-effective lead abatement technologies.
(g)CA Education Code § 32242(g) Work with the State Department of Education to develop voluntary guidelines for distribution to requesting schools to ensure that lead hazards are minimized in the course of school repair and maintenance programs and abatement procedures.
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Section § 32243
This law requires schools with significant lead risk factors to inform parents, teachers, and staff about the risks and the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act. Within 45 days of discovering the risk, the school must notify everyone concerned. When the state has a certification and training program in place for handling lead, any lead removal work done by the school must use certified professionals.
(a)CA Education Code § 32243(a) When a school subject to this article has been determined to have significant risk factors for lead, the school shall be advised of this finding, and the school shall notify parents of the provisions of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act of 1991 (pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 105275) of Part 5 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code). Within 45 days of receiving this finding, the school principal or the director of the schoolsite shall notify the teachers, other personnel, and the parents of the finding.
(b)CA Education Code § 32243(b) Subsequent to the implementation by the state of a certification and training program for environmental lead testing and abatement, any school that undertakes any action to abate existing risk factors for lead shall utilize trained and state certified contractors, inspectors, and workers.
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Section § 32244
This law states that when building new schools or renovating existing ones, lead-based materials like paint, plumbing, and solders cannot be used, to prevent lead contamination.
Lead-based paint, lead plumbing and solders, or other potential sources of lead contamination shall not be utilized in the construction of any new school facility or the modernization or renovation of any existing school facility.
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Section § 32245
Money to put this law into action will come from the Child Health and Safety Fund. The California Legislature has to officially decide how much money will be used by following rules in another section of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
Funding to implement this article shall be provided from the Child Health and Safety Fund created under Chapter 4.6 (commencing with Section 18285) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, upon appropriation by the Legislature pursuant to Section 18285 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
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