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 ____________________________________________________________ ___ 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.