Legislative Document No. 1943 H.P. 1387 House of Representatives, January 8, 2020
An Act To Protect Drinking Water for Low-income Maine Residents
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 203. Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT Clerk
Presented by Representative GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach. Cosponsored by Senator BLACK of Franklin and Representatives: FECTEAU of Biddeford, GATTINE of Westbrook, PEBWORTH of Blue Hill, Senators: CARPENTER of Aroostook, CARSON of Cumberland, MILLETT of Cumberland, MOORE of Washington, VITELLI of Sagadahoc.
Printed on recycled paper 1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2 Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2660-U, as amended by PL 2017, c. 475, Pt. C, §7, is further 3 amended by adding at the end a new paragraph to read:
4 The department shall establish and maintain a program through the Health and 5 Environmental Testing Laboratory offering free well water testing for low-income 6 residents of the State. The program may not require justification for the well water 7 testing from a geologist or a physician.
8 Sec. 2. Department of Health and Human Services to amend rules. The 9 Department of Health and Human Services shall review recent research regarding arsenic 10 toxicity and levels suitable for consumption and shall amend 10-144 C.M.R. Chapter 231, 11 Rules Relating to Drinking Water to revise the maximum contaminant level for arsenic to 12 be consistent with that research.
13 SUMMARY 14 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish and 15 maintain a program through the Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory offering 16 free well water testing for low-income residents of the State. It also requires the 17 department to review recent research regarding arsenic toxicity and levels suitable for 18 consumption and to amend its rules to revise the maximum contaminant level for arsenic 19 to be consistent with that research.
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