SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1828        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1475

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

John C. Velis

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act establishing the Lead Poisoning Prevention Trust Fund.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1828        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1475

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

An Act establishing the Lead Poisoning Prevention Trust Fund.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is amended by adding after Section 197E the following new section:-

SECTION 197F. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a Lead Poisoning Prevention Trust Fund established under the department of housing and community development. The department shall establish and administer a program that provides assistance, including grants, for the abatement of lead paint hazards in residential housing. 

(b) The department shall establish eligibility standards for participation in the program, including, but not limited to: (1) residential housing units or housing projects consisting of households with incomes up to 100% of the area median income as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and (2) housing that serves as a childcare location for children under 6 years of age. Priority of program funds shall be given to abatement projects for housing in which a child who has been determined to have lead poisoning is residing within. 

(c) All lead abatement performed pursuant to the program must comply with industry standards for lead abatement, including pre-abatement inspection and post-abatement inspection of the housing and other standards established by the Department of Environmental Protection. 

(d) Amounts credited to said fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and money remaining in the fund at the close of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. Funds from private and public sources and appropriations by the general court may be credited to said fund. 

(e) Not later than October 1, the director of housing and community development and the commissioner shall provide an annual report to the joint committee on public health and the senate and house committees on ways and means providing a description and accounting of the revenue credited to the fund and expenditures made from the fund.