Senate Passes Cherry Legislation to Require Lead Testing for All Michigan Children

LANSING, MI. (June 14, 2023) – Today, Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint) and the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 31, Sen. Cherry's bill that directs physicians to test a child's blood for the presence of lead when they are between 12 and 24 months old and again between the ages of 2 and 6 years old (with parental consent). This will help parents identify early on if exposure to lead has occurred.

"We know early childhood exposure to lead has been a major issue in Flint and continues to pose a threat around our state, which is why we need to tackle this problem on multiple fronts, including during regular healthcare checkups," explains Sen. Cherry. "By making sure physicians are catching lead exposure in children as early as possible, parents can be sure they are taking the steps needed to help their child live a healthy and happy life, preventing further harm as much as possible."

Senate Bill 31 will amend state law to ensure:

Universal lead testing at 12 and 24 months and, if no test is on record for those ages, then between 24 and 72 months;

Universal testing of 4-year-olds that live within a geographic region that poses a higher risk of lead poisoning;

Universal testing if a child lives in a home that was built before 1978, or one where other children have been diagnosed with lead poisoning; and

A requirement that a minor must be tested at more regular intervals if a physician determines they are at risk of childhood lead poisoning based on the factors above.

"Lead poisoning has been a severe threat in the neighborhood I raised my family in, in the city I love and the legislative district I serve, and in communities across the state. I have been working throughout my time in the Legislature to address the dangers of lead, from improving our water infrastructure and safety to establishing universal testing as this bill does," said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids). "Our Senate Democratic Majority continues to focus on pressing issues like this that protect our kids, families and communities, keep them safe and healthy, and enable them to thrive in every sense of the word."

The bill has the support of a number of organizations and advocacy groups, including Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, the Ecology Center, the Michigan Nurses Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health Detroit Lead Parent Advocacy Group, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Authority Health, the Michigan League for Public Policy, and the Michigan Environmental Council.

"Universal testing could have the most profound impact on preventing lead poisoning since lead paint was banned in 1978," said Ellen Vial, engagement coordinator for the Michigan Environmental Council and organizer of the Michigan Alliance for Lead Safe Homes. "Children are especially vulnerable to lead's effects on growth and development. With Sen. Cherry's legislation, we can not only get thousands more children tested and treated, but we can better find and eliminate the sources of poisoning."

Lead poisoning in children can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavioral problems, and hearing and speech problems. Michigan ranked third highest in the nation for elevated blood lead levels in children in 2021.