Proposed Legislation
Michigan
In 1999, Representative Laura Baird introduced three bills
– HB 4568, HB 4569, and HB 4570 – in the Michigan
House of Representatives to reduce exposure of children
to environmental contaminants:
HB
4568 would prohibit the installation or operation of
certain air pollution sources if they were located within
one-quarter mile of a residential dwelling, a public or
nonpublic elementary or secondary school, a preschool, or
a child care center.
Status: Referred to Committee on Conservation and Outdoor
Recreation, 4/27/1999.
HB
4569 would require that the Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality consider and make written findings on the increased
health risk to children in the area posed by a proposed
discharge, and the cumulative health risk to children in
the area posed by all discharges, including the proposed
one, when determining whether to issue a permit.
Status: Referred to Committee on Conservation and Outdoor
Recreation, 4/27/1999.
HB
4570 would require the Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality to identify and develop a list of environmental
pollutants, and develop recommendations to help reduce or
eliminate exposure of children to these pollutants.
Status: Referred to Committee on Conservation and Outdoor
Recreation, 4/27/1999.
HB
4026 seeks to establish an Office of Children’s
Health Protection which is required to take into account
the special vulnerability of children because of their developing
physiology, behavior, and intake of air, water, and food.
The office would be established to: (1) Review proposed
legislation to determine if it adequately protects the health
of children; (2) Review statutes and rules to determine
whether they protect the health of children; and (3) Review,
by public request, permit applications to determine the
potential impacts of the permits on the health of children.
Status: Referred to Committee on Family and Children Services,
1/25/01.
Nebraska
Introduced 4/30/01, LR
69 would examine the impact of environmental issues
or hazards on the health and welfare of children when such
facilities are located near an environmental hazard and
would designate a committee to study and report findings.
New York
A 5192 would require that standards for school buildings
being purchased, remodeled, or built must be protective
of children’s environmental health and safety.
Status: To Senate Committee on Education, 3/13/02.
Washington
SB
5478 seeks to reduce childhood lead exposure.
Status: Returned to Senate, 3/15/02.
Enacted Legislation
Maryland
Signed into law on May 18, 2000, HB
313, establishes the Children’s Environmental
Health and Protection Advisory Council. This legislation
coordinates, for the first time, the regulations, rules,
and standards of the many state agencies that monitor environmental
health issues as they relate to children. The Advisory Council
created by the bill will be the formal, and only, state
entity whose responsibilities include: monitoring and commenting
on state regulations and legislation for their impacts on
children’s health; collecting and disseminating information
to the public related to children’s health; and, developing
uniform guidelines for state agencies to follow to help
reduce and eliminate children’s exposure to environmental
hazards.
Minnesota
Enacted in 2001, SF
4, provides that any drinking water or air quality standards
established or revised by the health department must be
set to include a reasonable margin of safety to protect
the health of infants and children as well as adults. This
became MN Session Laws 2001, 1st Special Session, Chapter
9.
The language of interest is in Article 1, Sec 27.
That particular language was codified into MN
Statute 144.0751.
This Statute was amended in 2002. For 2002 Session Laws,
Chap.
379 article 1 sec.113.
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