ATLANTA – The House Study Committee on Childhood Lead Exposure, chaired by State Representative Katie Dempsey (R-Rome), will hold its first meeting on Thursday, September 2, 2021, from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in room 406 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building in Atlanta. To watch a live stream of this meeting, please click here.
“No amount of blood lead level detected in a child is a safe amount as even tiny traces may impact a child’s ability to learn and succeed in their young lives,” said Rep. Dempsey. “Georgia’s laws must be examined and potentially updated in accordance with the CDC’s recommendations to better protect our children, and I am eager to work with my House colleagues to determine how to effectively detect and prevent childhood lead exposure.”
In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its recommendations on children’s blood lead levels and interventions when blood levels reach five micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. However, under Georgia law, confirmed lead poisoning means a confirmed concentration of lead equal to or greater than 20 micrograms of lead per deciliter for a single venous test or between 15 and 19 micrograms of lead per deciliter in two capillary tests taken at least three months apart. This difference in the CDC’s recommendations and Georgia law has resulted in missing a population of exposed children.
Established by House Resolution 52 during the 2021 legislative session, the House Study Committee on Childhood Lead Exposure will study the full effect of lead exposure on a certain population of exposed children and make recommendations on how Georgia can effectively prevent adverse outcomes. This study committee will report its findings by December 1, 2021.
For more information on HR 52, please click here.
Representative Katie Dempsey represents the citizens of District 13, which includes portions of Floyd County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 and currently serves as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources. She also serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Health & Human Services, Higher Education, Rules and Transportation committees.
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