§ 19a-111j — Financial assistance to local health departments for lead poisoning prevention and control.

Connecticut § 19a-111j

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 19a: Public Health and Well-Being
• Ch. 368a: Department of Public Health

Text

(a) The Department of Public Health shall, within available appropriations, establish and administer a program of financial assistance to local health departments for expenses incurred in complying with this section and the applicable provisions of sections 19a-110, 19a-111a, 19a-206, 47a-52 and 47a-54f. Local health departments shall use the funds disbursed through the program for lead poisoning prevention and control services as described in subsection (b) of this section and other lead poisoning prevention and control purposes approved by the Department of Public Health. (b) To be eligible to receive program funding from the Department of Public Health, a local health department shall administer a local lead poisoning prevention and control program approved by the department. Such program shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) Case management services; (2) lead poisoning educational services; (3) environmental health services; (4) health education services, including, but not limited to, education concerning proper nutrition for good health and the prevention of lead poisoning; and (5) participation in the Department of Public Health's system for the collection, tabulation, analysis and reporting of lead poisoning prevention and control statistics. (c) A local health department may directly provide lead poisoning prevention and control services within its geographic coverage area or may contract for the provision of such services. A local health department's case management services shall include medical, behavioral, epidemiological and environmental intervention strategies for each child having a blood lead level that is equal to, or greater than, three and one-half micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. A local health department shall initiate case management services for such child not later than five business days after the local health department receives the results of a test confirming that the child has a blood lead level as described in this subsection. (d) A local health department's educational services shall include the distribution of educational materials concerning lead poisoning prevention to the parent, legal guardian and the appropriate health care provider for each child with a blood lead level equal to, or greater than, three and one-half micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. Such educational materials shall be provided in English, Spanish and any other language common to the persons in the local health department's jurisdiction. (e) The Department of Public Health shall disburse program funds to the local health department on an annual basis. After approving a local health department's application for program funding, the funding period shall begin on July first each year. The amount of such funding shall be determined by the Department of Public Health based on the number of confirmed childhood lead poisoning cases reported in the local health department's geographic coverage area during the previous calendar year. The director of any local health department that applies for program funding shall submit, not later than September thirtieth, annually, to the Department of Public Health a report concerning the local health department's lead poisoning and prevention control program. Such report shall contain: (1) A proposed budget for the expenditure of program funds for the new fiscal year; (2) a summary of planned program activities for the new fiscal year; and (3) a summary of program expenditures, services provided and operational activities during the previous fiscal year. The Department of Public Health shall approve a local health department's proposed budget prior to disbursing program funds to the local health department.

Legislative History

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2, S. 59; P.A. 12-202, S. 1; P.A. 23-31, S. 37.) History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2 effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 12-202 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same to add reference to compliance with “this section” re expenses incurred, delete provision re adoption of regulations and add provision re use of funds by local health departments and added Subsec. (b) re requirements for funding eligibility, Subsec. (c) re prevention and control services and case management services, Subsec. (d) re educational services and Subsec. (e) re disbursement of program funds to and reports by local health departments; P.A. 23-31 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “one confirmed blood level” with “a blood level” and “twenty” with “three and one-half”, and deleting provision re case management services to include strategies for each child having 2 confirmed blood levels that are equal to, or greater than, 15 micrograms of lead but less than 20 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, and amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “confirmed blood lead level” with “blood lead level” and “ten” with “three and one-half” and adding provision re multilingual educational materials.