Public housing: lead testing.

Senator Richardson's proposal would require public housing owners and managers to inform residents about available free water lead testing programs, adding a new notification requirement to California's existing lead safety regulations. The measure applies to public housing units owned or managed by cities, counties, and local housing authorities across the state.

The bill builds upon current state law, which already prohibits the use of lead-containing materials in public water systems and requires water systems to maintain inventories of lead service lines. Under this new provision, public housing authorities would need to provide information to tenants about any existing programs offering free lead testing of water supplies. The Commission on State Mandates would determine whether local agencies qualify for state reimbursement of costs associated with implementing these notification requirements.