An Act To Protect Maine School Children from Lead and Arsenic Exposure

Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2604,  as enacted by PL 1975, c. 751, §4, is amended to read:

§ 2604. Schools, sampling and examination of water

Any school , which that takes water from a any source other than a public water system and uses such that water for drinking or culinary purposes , shall submit samples of such that water to the department for analysis at least once during each school year. Such The samples shall must be analyzed by the department for contamination including, but not limited to, lead and arsenic. If the water is found to violate the state primary drinking water regulations, the department shall issue an order prohibiting the use of the water for drinking or culinary purposes by the school , which and that order shall must remain in force until the water conforms to the state primary drinking water regulations. The department shall make the results of any analysis performed under this section available on a publicly accessible website maintained and updated by the department. The department shall notify the parents or legal guardians of all students of the school if the water is found to violate the state primary drinking water regulations.

Violation of this section shall is, on conviction, be punishable by a fine of not more than $500.

Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §8402, sub-§3, ¶B,  as amended by PL 2001, c. 645, §10, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

SUMMARY

Current law requires schools that take drinking water from sources other than public water systems to have that water tested. This bill requires all schools and nursery schools that take drinking water from any source to have the same tests performed on that water, including, but not limited to, tests for lead and arsenic. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to make all test results available on the department's publicly accessible website and to inform the parents and guardians of all students at a school or nursery school if the water is found to violate the state primary drinking water regulations.