AB 1316: Public health: childhood lead poisoning: prevention.

Existing law, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act of 1991, required the State Department of Public Health (formerly the State Department of Health Services) between July 1, 1992, and July 1, 1993, to adopt regulations establishing a standard of care at least as stringent as the most recent United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention screening guidelines, whereby all children are evaluated for risk of lead poisoning by health care providers during each childs periodic health assessment. The standard of care, among others, is required to provide that, upon evaluation, those children determined to be at risk for lead poisoning, according to the regulations, are required to be screened. Existing law defines lead poisoning to mean the disease present when the concentration of lead in whole venous blood reaches or exceeds levels constituting a health risk, as specified in the most recent United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for lead poisoning as determined by the department, or when the concentration of lead in whole venous blood reaches or exceeds levels constituting a health risk as determined by the department, as specified. Existing law creates the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund consisting of fees imposed on manufacturers and other persons formerly, presently, or both formerly and presently engaged in the stream of commerce of lead or products containing lead, or who are otherwise responsible for identifiable sources of lead that have significantly contributed historically, currently contribute, or both have significantly contributed historically and contribute currently to environmental lead contamination. The moneys in the fund are required to be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the purposes of the act.

This bill, among other things, would change the definition of lead poisoning to include concentrations of lead in arterial or cord blood. The bill would require that the regulations establishing a standard of care include the determination of risk factors for whether a child is at risk for lead poisoning and would require the department, when determining those risk factors, to consider the most significant environmental risk factors, as specified. The bill would require that the regulations be developed by July 1, 2019, in consultation with medical experts, environmental experts, appropriate professional organizations, the public, and others, as determined by the department. The bill would also clarify that the lead screening would not be paid for by funds from the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund.

This bill would further require the department, by March 1, 2019, and by every March 1 thereafter, to prepare and prominently post on its Internet Web site information that, among other things, evaluates the departments progress in identifying children with high blood lead levels and reducing the incidence of excessive childhood lead exposure in this state, as provided. The bill would require the department to use an electronic database, as provided, to support electronic laboratory reporting of blood lead tests, management of lead-exposed children, and assessment of sources of lead exposure. The bill would make conforming and technical changes, and would delete obsolete provisions.

Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires health insurers issuing group disability insurance that covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses to provide benefits for comprehensive preventive care for children 18 years of age and younger under the terms and conditions agreed upon by the group policyholder and the insurer. Existing law requires those benefits to include periodic health evaluations, immunizations, and laboratory services in connection with those periodic health evaluations.

This bill, among other things, would add screening for blood lead levels in children who are at risk for lead poisoning to those required benefits, as specified.