This bill seeks to update the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act by revising definitions and introducing new requirements for water suppliers and real estate transactions. It adds and modifies definitions for terms such as "Apprenticeable," "Approved apprenticeship program," and "Lead service lines," while deleting and replacing definitions for "Insurer" and "Lead contractor." The bill mandates that water suppliers create an inventory of water connections to identify lead service lines by October 16, 2024, and provide this inventory to the Department of Health and the Rhode Island infrastructure bank, making it publicly accessible. Water suppliers must notify property owners and tenants of lead service lines, implement mitigation measures, and develop lead service line replacement programs with the possibility of financial assistance.

Furthermore, the bill imposes obligations on water suppliers to inspect and replace lead service lines at no cost to property owners, with the entire lead service line on the public side to be replaced unless there is an emergency or written objection. It sets out requirements for tenant notification, property transfer disclosures, and prioritization of funds for replacements, with a ten-year deadline for all public and private lead service lines to be replaced. Water suppliers must submit annual reports on their progress and are encouraged to educate communities about lead exposure. The bill also amends real estate sales disclosures, changing the date for required lead inspections from 1978 to 2011, and grants potential purchasers a ten-day period to assess lead exposure hazards, with the right to void the purchase agreement if hazards are identified. The act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2  SUB B: 23-24.6-4
2  SUB A: 23-24.6-4
2: 23-24.6-4