Senate approves $20 million for lead testing in schools

WASHINGTON – The Senate approved a water resources bill Thursday that authorizes $20 million nationally to help school districts cover the cost of testing their drinking water for lead contamination.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law earlier this month that requires all public school districts in the state to test their drinking water by Oct. 31. Elementary schools face an earlier deadline of Sept. 30.

The Senate bill, approved 95-3, wouldn't help with those costs for the current school year but could become a funding source in future years.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., authored the provision in response to the Ithaca school system's discovery of lead in schools' drinking water. Schumer said he envisions his measure becoming an annual federal grant program run by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“It is imperative that we provide a steady stream of support for the schools in New York and around our country to test the quality of our kids’ drinking water,’’ Schumer said in a statement. “We worked hard to pass a bill that addresses the yawning gap in our national lead-testing protocols, and now I’m hopeful that my bill will earn strong bipartisan support in the House and quickly become law.”

Cuomo signs law to test for lead in schools

The House version of the water resources legislation hasn't received a vote yet in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell is sponsoring a companion bill to Schumer's measure. He hopes his Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water Act of 2016 will be inserted into the water resources legislation, according to his spokesman, Timothy Carroll.

The Senate bill also addresses other lead contamination issues that drew national attention because of the drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich.

RCSD finds elevated lead in at least 11 percent of water sources

"(The bill) provides $70 million in funding to activate over $1 billion in low-interest loans to finance much-needed upgrades to water infrastructure,’’ Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said.

The legislation also would set up a national registry for information on how children are affected by lead exposure.

Other provisions include assistance to pregnant women and new mothers, funding for public education on the dangers of lead exposure and financial assistance to states to identify public safety issues involving exposure to lead, mold, carbon monoxide, and radon.