Ellison bill on lead standards passes House
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved legislation by U.S. Representative Keith Ellison to tighten standards for lead exposure in public housing.

Currently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development calls for an investigation into the source of lead if a child’s lead level is 20 micrograms per deciliter. Ellison’s bill would reduce that to 10 micrograms, to coincide with standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1991.
Exposure to lead can lead to problems such as reduced IQ, behavioral disorders and brain damage in young children.

Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat, calls lead poisoning one of the largest environmental hazards affecting children, adding “It is also one of the most preventable.”

The House passed the bill on a voice vote Thursday night.

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