New York Assembly Bill A07224

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/21/25
• Refer: 3/21/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires the recommendation to a parent for blood lead level screenings of their child when a health care provider finds high lead levels in the blood of such child; directs the department of health to conduct an environmental investigation when a child is found to have high levels of lead in their blood.

Summary

A07224 amends the Public Health Law to strengthen follow-up procedures for childhood lead exposure. It requires the Department of Health to direct primary care providers to recommend additional blood lead level screenings when a child’s test result is at least 15 micrograms per deciliter and below 25 micrograms per deciliter. The bill is aimed at ensuring that children with elevated, but not yet extremely high, lead levels receive continued monitoring and that parents are advised to pursue repeat testing. The bill also creates a stronger state response for children whose blood lead levels exceed 25 micrograms per deciliter. In those cases, the commissioner or designee must take steps to ensure that the required environmental investigation is completed, and if it has not been finished within 180 days of notice, the Department of Health must complete the investigation itself. The department is authorized to seek reimbursement from the parties originally responsible for conducting the investigation. The act would take effect immediately.

Impact

The bill would expand the state’s lead-poisoning response framework by adding mandatory follow-up screening recommendations and a backstop for environmental investigations in high-level cases. It affects the Public Health Law and interacts with existing environmental investigation requirements under the state codes and regulations, increasing the Department of Health’s oversight role and potentially shifting costs to responsible entities when investigations are delayed or not completed.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no documented debate or recorded sentiment in the provided materials. Based on the bill’s text and caption, the measure appears to be a public-health and child-safety bill focused on earlier intervention and stronger enforcement for lead exposure cases.

Contention

The main policy issues likely concern the threshold levels that trigger follow-up screening and mandatory investigations, as well as the Department of Health’s authority to step in after a 180-day delay. Another possible point of contention is the bill’s cost-recovery provision, which could affect local agencies, environmental investigators, property owners, or other entities responsible for conducting investigations. However, no specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided record.