New York Senate Bill S01816

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/14/25
• Refer: 1/14/25
• Engrossed: 3/17/25
• Refer: 3/17/25
• Refer: 1/7/26
• Engrossed: 3/23/26
• Refer: 3/23/26

Caption

Relates to the definition of elevated blood lead levels; provides that elevated lead levels means a blood lead level greater than or equal to 3.5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of whole blood or such lower blood lead level as may be established by the department of health pursuant to rule or regulation.

Summary

S01816 amends New York’s Public Health Law to lower the statutory definition of “elevated lead levels” from 5.0 micrograms per deciliter of whole blood to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, or a lower level if later set by the Department of Health. The bill also directs the Department of Health to adopt implementing regulations within 90 days of enactment and authorizes emergency rulemaking so the change can be put into effect quickly. The measure is aimed at strengthening the state’s lead poisoning prevention program by aligning the trigger for public health action with a lower blood lead threshold. It further requires the department to consider future federal guidance and, if the federal Department of Health and Human Services recommends an even lower reference level for environmental intervention, to publish proposed rulemaking within six months to consider incorporating that guidance into state regulations.

Impact

The bill changes the operative statutory threshold in section 1370 of the Public Health Law that defines when a child or other patient is considered to have elevated lead levels for purposes of state lead poisoning prevention and intervention efforts. By lowering the threshold to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, it expands the number of cases that may be subject to public health monitoring, environmental investigation, and related interventions by the Department of Health. It also gives the department ongoing regulatory authority to set an even lower standard if warranted, and requires prompt rulemaking to implement the new definition.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong support for the bill. It passed the Senate Health Committee unanimously in both recorded committee votes and received overwhelming support on the Senate floor, with only two no votes in 2025 and no recorded opposition in the later floor vote. The absence of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the vote pattern suggests broad agreement with the public health rationale for lowering the lead threshold.

Contention

No specific committee objections or floor arguments are provided in the available materials, so the precise points of contention are not documented. Based on the bill’s structure, any disagreement would likely center on whether lowering the threshold to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter could increase state and local intervention burdens, regulatory costs, or reporting obligations, versus the public health benefit of earlier detection and response to lead exposure. The recorded votes, however, indicate that any such concerns did not generate significant organized opposition in the Senate.