[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 112 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1535-E1536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE CHILDREN'S LEAD SCREENING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EARLY 
          INTERVENTION ACT OF 1999 (CHILDREN'S LEAD SAFE ACT)

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2001

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to re-introduce the 
Children's Lead Screen Intervention Act. This important legislation 
will strengthen federal mandates designed to protect our children from 
lead poisoning--a preventable tragedy that continues to threaten the 
health of our children.
  Childhood lead poisoning has long been considered the number one 
environmental health threat facing children in the United States, and 
despite dramatic reductions in blood lead levels over the past 20 
years, lead poisoning continues to be a significant health risk for 
young children. CDC has estimated that about 890,000, or 4.4 percent, 
of children between the ages of one and five have harmful levels of 
lead in their blood. Even at low levels, lead can have harmful effects 
on a child's intelligence and his, or her, ability to learn.
  Children can be exposed to lead from a number of sources. We are all 
cognizant of lead based paint found in older homes and buildings. 
However, children may also be exposed to non paint sources of lead, as 
well as lead dust. Poor and minority children, who typically live in 
older housing, are at highest risk of lead poisoning. Therefore, this 
health threat is of particular concern to states, like New Jersey, 
where more than 35 percent of homes were built prior to 1950.
  In 1996, New Jersey implemented a law requiring health care providers 
to test all young children for lead exposure. But during the first year 
of this requirement, there were actually fewer children screened than 
the year before, when there was no requirement at all. Between July 
1997 and July 1998, 13,596 children were tested for lead poisoning. The 
year before that more than 17,000 tests were done.
  New Jersey has made some progress since then. In the year 2000, New 
Jersey screened 67,594 children who were one or two years of age. But 
that is still only one-third of all children in that age group.
  At the federal level, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) 
has mandated that Medicaid children under 2 years of age be screened 
for elevated blood lead levels. However, recent General Accounting 
Office (GAO) reports indicate that this is not being done. For

[[Page E1536]]

example, the GAO has found that only about 21 percent of Medicaid 
children between the ages of one and two have been screened. In the 
state of New Jersey, only about 39 percent of children enrolled in 
Medicaid have been screened.
  Based on these reviews at both the state and federal levels, it is 
obvious that improvements must be made to ensure that children are 
screened early and receive follow up treatment if lead is detected. 
That is why I am introducing this legislation which I believe will 
address some of the shortcomings that have been identified in existing 
requirements.
  The legislation will require Medicaid providers to screen children 
and cover treatment for children found to have elevated levels of lead 
in their blood. It will also require improved data reporting of 
children who are tested, so that we can accurately monitor the results 
of the program. Because more than 75 percent--or nearly 700,000--of the 
children found to have elevated blood lead levels are part of 
federally-funded health care programs, our bill targets not only 
Medicaid, but also Head Start, Early Head Start and the Special 
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). 
Head Start and WIC programs would be allowed to perform screening or to 
mandate that parents show proof of screenings in order to enroll their 
children.
  Education, early screening and prompt follow-up care will save 
millions in health care costs; but, more importantly will save our 
greatest resource--our children.

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