129th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 153		LR 151(04)
	An Act To Strengthen Testing for Lead in School Drinking Water
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Engrossed with: C "A" (S-84)
	Committee: Health and Human Services
Fiscal Note
Resources or alternative means to be provided to local schools
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill requires the Department of Human Services (DHHS) to adopt rules for schools related to water lead, including but not limited to, establishing water lead levels; testing protocols, including the frequency of testing; abatement or mitigation methods; procedures for guidance to reduce exposure; and public notification. Schools are required to test water used for drinking or culinary purposes only to the extent that the DHHS provides the necessary resources to ensure that schools do not incur additional expenditures from local revenue. The DHHS has indicated it can provide water testing kits and related laboratory analyses for the schools within its currently budgeted resources. For any additional costs arising from discovery of lead in water, potentially including abatement and mitigation, the bill requires that DHHS must, to the maximum extent possible, provide resources to schools or seek to identify alternative means to achieve the bill's purposes. No additional funding is provided in the bill at this time.