A pair of Democratic-backed bills introduced in the House of Representatives last week would aim to help schools take action to reduce children’s exposure to lead in drinking water.
H.R. 5886, offered by Reps. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), would authorize $25 million over five years for a new grant program to help schools replace drinking water fountains that could include dangerous lead components.
Rep. Pallone, the lead Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, recently called for comprehensive Safe Drinking Water Act reforms, including new provisions to address lead in school drinking water. H.R. 5886 might therefore be a candidate to be included in any broader SDWA legislation Rep. Pallone develops in the coming months.
Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) also introduced a separate bill last week (H.R. 5833) to address lead contamination in school drinking water, but additional details about that proposal were not available as of last Friday afternoon.