SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today the California State Assembly handily passed a bill aimed at removing all lead from drinking and cooking water used in schools. If passed, it would help protect young children from lead’s serious health harms.
The legislation, Assembly Bill 249, now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to face opposition from the state’s water boards.
If signed into law, the bill would require lead tests at all drinking water fountains and faucets of water used to cook for children in schools serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, that receive federal Title 1 funds. About 65 percent of California's K-12 schools fall into this category.
The bill would also set a legal goal of reducing school lead levels to zero. If lead is detected at schools above 5 parts per billion, the contamination must be addressed.
Dedicated federal and state funds would pay for the tests and cleanup.
A.B. 249 was introduced by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), a champion of drinking water safety.
“Lead consumption among youth and disenfranchised communities occurs at a higher rate,” said Holden. “Helping schools with resources and criteria to regulate the water fountains that most children drink from is a step toward healthier schools, students and communities.”
In 2018, legislation Holden authored went into effect that required licensed child care centers in the state to test their tap water for lead contamination.
Results of those tests were released this month and revealed alarming levels of lead. Nearly 1,700 licensed child care centers statewide – one in four – have exceeded the amount of allowable lead in drinking water given daily to preschool-age children and infants.
“The test results at child care centers reveal the need to test comprehensively and clean up our drinking water statewide,” said Susan Little, senior advocate for California Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group.
“Our students, and students everywhere, are extremely vulnerable to the damaging and lasting harm of lead exposure. And we need to make sure they are protected. We trust that lawmakers in the California Senate will follow the Assembly’s leadership and support A.B. 249,” said Little.
EWG and Children Now, a nonprofit focused on children’s health, are co-sponsors of the bill.
“Lead exposure is a health, education, and racial justice issue for our kids,” said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, a statewide children’s advocacy organization.
“We thank Assemblymember Holden for authoring this legislation to protect students from lead in drinking water, and we are pleased to partner with the Environmental Working Group to co-sponsor the bill. Children Now is committed to ensuring that schools have the support and resources they need to keep kids safe,” said Lempert.
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The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. Visit www.ewg.org for more information.
Children Now is a non-partisan, whole-child research, policy development and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children’s health, education and well-being in California. The organization also leads The Children’s Movement of California, a network of over 4,800 direct service, parent, youth, civil rights, faith-based and community groups dedicated to improving children’s well-being. https://www.childrennow.org/
