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Committee hears bills to expand lead‑screening reporting and add school‑nurse seat on advisory panel
Summary
HB259 would require the Division of Public Health to report school‑level lead‑screening counts and post data online; HB264 would add a voting school‑nurse member to the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Committee. Both bills received committee support; no votes were taken because quorum was lost.
Two related bills aimed at improving childhood lead‑screening oversight drew support in the Senate Health and Social Services Committee.
House Bill 259 would require the Division of Public Health to submit an annual report — incorporated into the existing childhood lead‑poisoning report — with school‑level counts for kindergartners who meet screening requirements, and to post the data online. Senator Pinkney said the Department of Public Health has reviewed privacy procedures and concluded that reporting the small data sets would be permissible.
Dr. Amy Rowe, chair of the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Committee, told the committee the advisory committee reviewed and voted to support HB259.
House Bill 264 would add a voting school nurse to the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Committee. Proponents including Dr. Rowe and Christopher Otto, executive director of the Delaware Nurses Association, argued that school nurses are essential to screening, referral and coordination, and that having a nurse as a voting member would strengthen implementation.
The committee took no votes because it lost quorum and adjourned.
