BILL ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
80 (Havice)
Hearing Date: 8/20/01 Amended: 5/31/01
Consultant: Bob Franzoia Policy Vote: E Q 7-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 80 would, subject to funds being made
available in the annual budget act, require school
districts to require its maintenance supervisors to
participate in training offered by the Department of Health
Services (DHS) through the Lead-Safe Schools Project. Upon
completion of the training, the supervisors would be
required to train district employees. These training
program requirements would impose a state-mandated local
program.
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2001-02 2002-03
2003-04 Fund
District employee Estimated $262 for initial DHS training;General*
training unknown, potentially minor costs for school
(mandate) district supervisors to train district employees
DHS administration Up to $75 initially, minor
ongoingSpecial**
* Counts toward meeting the Proposition 98 minimum funding guarantee
* Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund (CLPPF)
STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria to be placed
on the Suspense File.
The 2001-02 Budget Act provided the DHS $6,601,000 (Item
4260-001-0001) from the CLPPF (4260-001-0080) for its costs
associated with the Lead-Safe Schools Project. This
analysis assumes one employee per school district is
trained at a cost of $350 per training course.
The Lead Safe Schools Project required DHS to conduct a
study to determine the prevalence of lead hazards in
elementary schools and childcare facilities. The
department published the study in 1998 after surveying 200
randomly selected elementary schools and day care centers.
The study found that lead hazards are a problem in the
state's schools as indicated by the following data:
- 78 percent of the schools have some lead-based paint.
- 38 percent of those schools have paint that is
deteriorating.
- 18 percent have lead levels in drinking water above 15
parts per billion, the US EPA action level.
- 6 percent have lead levels in soil above 400 parts per
million, the US EPA reference level for soil in which
children play.
The Lead Safe Schools Project requires schools that have
lead hazards to notify parents, staff, and teachers of that
fact; it does not explicitly mandate abatement of those
hazards.
While it may be appropriate to require the CLPPF to
reimburse the General Fund for any state-mandated program
costs associated with this bill, the passage of this bill,
AB 50 (Shelley) and SB 21 (Escutia), all relating to the
Lead Safe Schools Project, may result in an
oversubscription of the fund.