§ 25-5-1101 — Legislative declaration

(1) (a) The general assembly hereby
declares that this part 11 is enacted for the purpose of reducing exposure of
children to lead hazards and reducing the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels
in children under seven years of age. The general assembly finds and determines
that:

(I) Exposure of children to lead represents a significant environmental health
problem in the state that is preventable;

(II) The existence of elevated blood lead levels in children is of great concern
to the citizens of Colorado because lead poisoning in children may necessitate
large expenditures of public funds for health care and special education, which
expenditures could be avoided if exposure of children to lead is reduced;

(III) A comprehensive lead hazard reduction program is needed to prevent
elevated blood lead levels in children and, if implemented, such program could
prevent hundreds of Colorado's children, many of whom currently go undiagnosed
or untreated, from being exposed to lead at levels believed to be harmful.

(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the general assembly to establish and fund a
statewide lead hazard prevention, intervention, and reduction program within the
department of public health and environment for the purposes of:

(I) Compiling information concerning the prevalence, causes, and geographic
occurrence of elevated levels of lead in children's blood;

(II) Identifying areas of the state where children's lead exposures are
significant;

(III) Analyzing lead information and, where indicated, designing and
implementing a program of medical monitoring and follow-up and environmental
intervention that will reduce the incidence of excessive exposure of children to lead
in residences and child-occupied facilities in Colorado; and

(IV) Providing comprehensive educational materials that are targeted to
health-care providers, child care providers, schools, parents of young children, the
real estate industry, and owners of rental properties.

Legislative History

Source: L. 97: Entire part added, p. 1083, � 1, effective July 1.