§ 23-24.6-10. Lead screening restricted receipt account. The director shall establish procedures for lead screening, laboratory testing, and reimbursement. The state laboratory services shall be billed to and reimbursed by insurers. Fees shall be set based upon the rates paid by the insurers to private laboratories for blood lead analysis. All reimbursement fees paid to the department shall be deposited into the general fund. General revenue appropriations for the lead screening program shall be used for:

(1) Administration of the comprehensive environmental lead program, including performance of environmental lead inspections by state inspectors for enforcement purposes, and development, administration, and coordination of a comprehensive educational program on environmental lead exposures and lead poisoning;

(2) Provision of comprehensive environmental lead inspections and technical assistance on appropriate environmental lead hazard reduction to families of significantly lead poisoned Rhode Island children and to families of uninsured and underinsured lead poisoned Rhode Island children on a priority basis by blood lead level; regulations clearly identifying the blood lead level corresponding to significant lead poisoning and the mechanism for prioritizing by blood lead level shall be promulgated;

(3) Provision of comprehensive environmental lead inspections and technical assistance on appropriate environmental lead hazard reduction to preschools, day care facilities, nursery schools, public and private elementary schools, and foster homes and shelters serving children under the age of six (6) years;

(4) Provision of funds to the department of environmental management for enforcement of fugitive dust regulations designed to reduce or eliminate the hazards caused by removal of leaded paint from the exterior of structures;

(5) Administration of a childhood blood lead testing program by the department's division of laboratories, including processing, analyzing, and reporting childhood blood lead samples;

(6) Provision of the necessary blood lead screening and follow up blood lead testing for uninsured and underinsured preschool children in Rhode Island; and

(7) Development of a data management system which can be used to track cases of lead poisoning to ensure that they receive timely and appropriate medical treatment, to monitor homes for environmental lead inspections and lead hazard reduction, and to investigate the extent of childhood lead poisoning in Rhode Island.

History of Section. (P.L. 1991, ch. 355, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 370, art. 40, § 70; P.L. 2001, ch. 86, § 10.)