“Poisoning from lead paint remains one the most dangerous - yet preventable - public health hazards for our children. Today, with this new law, we are taking action to reduce the number of cases of lead poisoning in New Hampshire. Today, with this new law, we are acting to better protect our children from the damaging effects of lead poisoning,” Gov. Lynch said

Gov. Lynch has made preventing lead poisoning a priority. Last fall, the Governor established a Lead Poisoning Task Force to make recommendations on how to reduce childhood lead poisoning in New Hampshire. This new law adopts the recommendations of the Task Force. Under the provisions of the bill, if one child is found with lead poisoning, the Department of Health and Human Services would be allowed to inspect all units in that building. Inspections would be triggered when the damage to children’s health begins, at 10 micrograms per deciliter - just as the Centers for Disease Control recommends. Current law sets a much higher threshold at 20 micrograms per deciliter.

“When that amount of lead is already in a child’s bloodstream, severe - and some cases irreversible - damage has already been done to a child’s health,” Gov. Lynch said.

The bill’s sponsors are Sens. Betsi DeVries, Lou D’Allesandro, Peter Burling, Jackie Cilley, Iris Estabrook, Joe Foster, Martha Fuller Clark, Maggie Hassan, Harold Janeway, Molly Kelly, Bob Odell, Kathy Sgambati, Jack Barnes and Sheila Roberge; and Reps. James MacKay, Cindy Rosenwald, Sharon Nordgren, Tom Donovan, and James Pilliod.