Passed unanimously by both the Senate and the House, Senate Bill 9 creates a comprehensive program in the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services dedicated exclusively to the removal of dangerous lead-based paint from homes throughout the First State.
Under current state law, Delaware each year tests about 12,000 children under that age of 6 for elevated blood lead levels as a prerequisite of their enrollment in childcare, nursery school or kindergarten. Over the last 10 years, more than 4% of children tested have had elevated blood-lead levels.
Senate Bill 9 created procedures for state health officials to identify and remediate homes that contain exposed lead paint, establish a state-funding mechanism to cover the cost of those repairs, and initiate a process to screen every residential rental property in Delaware for exposed lead paint.
SB 9 further created the Delaware Lead Paint Abatement and Remediation Fund. Money deposited in the fund can only be used to cover the cost of lead-paint screenings, abatements, temporary lodging and administrative costs.
Finally, SB 9 expanded the membership and duties of the existing Childhood Lead Poisoning Advisory Committee to include recommending to the General Assembly plans for future legislation requiring all rental properties in Delaware built before lead-based paint was banned in 1978 to be screened for the presence of exposed lead paint.