(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that childhood lead exposure represents the most significant childhood environmental health problem in the state today; that too little is known about the prevalence, long-term health care costs, severity, and location of these problems in California; that it is well known that the environment is widely contaminated with lead; that excessive lead exposure causes acute and chronic damage to a child’s renal system, red blood cells, and developing brain and nervous system; that at least one in every 25 children in the nation has an elevated blood lead level; and that the cost to society of neglecting this problem may be enormous.
(b) The Legislature further finds and declares that knowledge about where and to what extent harmful childhood lead exposures are occurring in the state could lead to the prevention of these exposures, and to the betterment of the health of California’s future citizens. Therefore, the enactment of this article establishes a state Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. The department shall accomplish all of the following:
(1) Compile information concerning the prevalence, causes, and geographic occurrence of high childhood blood lead levels.
(2) Identify and target areas of the state where childhood lead exposures are especially significant.
(3) Analyze information collected pursuant to this article and, where indicated, design and implement a program of medical followup and environmental abatement and followup that will reduce the incidence of excessive childhood lead exposures in California.
(4) Work, as necessary, with the State Department of Health Care Services to advance lead testing of children enrolled in Medi-Cal.
(c) (1) By March 1, 2019, and by March 1 of each year thereafter, the department shall prepare and prominently post on its Internet Web site information that evaluates the department’s progress in meeting the goals of this section. The information shall also include all of the following:
(A) An annually updated analysis of the data and information identified and compiled relative to paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b).
(B) To the greatest extent possible, a list of the census tracts in which children test positive at a rate higher than the national average for blood lead in exceedance of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s reference level for elevated blood lead based on the data and information received during the previous calendar year.
(C) The report developed pursuant to Section 105295.
(2) All uses and disclosures of data made pursuant to this section shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws for the protection of the privacy and security of data, including, but not limited to, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (Part 2.6 (commencing with Section 56) of Division 1 of the Civil Code), the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code), Title 1.81 (commencing with Section 1798.80) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-191), and the federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, Title XIII of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), and implementing regulations.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 690, Sec. 5. (SB 1041) Effective January 1, 2019.)