Senator Rivera’s Dakota’s Law Is Signed into Law

 

Senate Health Chair’s Signature Legislation to Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning Signed by Governor Hochul

Today, Dakota’s Law (S5024D Rivera /A7325C Peoples-Stokes), a bill to prevent and address instances of elevated blood lead levels in children has been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul.   

This bill requires lead screenings for children at every routine primary health care visit or annually until the age of six years old. Healthcare practitioners will be required to provide parents or guardians with guidance on lead poisoning prevention, including information on their right to an inspection if the child lives in an area of high risk. In addition, this bill will require pre-kindergarten and kindergarten institutions to check if their enrolling students have been screened for lead exposure and provide them with educational materials on lead poisoning. 

This is the first bill of Dakota’s Law, a multi-bill effort to enhance New York’s childhood lead poisoning prevention measures. 

"By signing this bill into law, Governor Hochul is taking decisive action to ensure that lead exposure is being detected in children before reaching levels that cause irreparable harm. This new law will help reduce lead poisoning in New York State and ensure our children live in safe and healthy environments,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chair of the Senate Health Committee and sponsor of the bill. “I want to thank Ms. Tiesha Jones for her tenacious work to protect her daughter Dakota and to help children and families across New York to prevent the harmful effects of lead poisoning.” 

Dakota’s Law was written with Ms. Tiesha Jones, Senator Rivera’s constituent, based on her and her child’s experience with elevated blood lead levels. Ms. Jones was living in a public housing apartment in the Bronx with her family and took her daughter Dakota to the doctor for appropriate testing at the required ages of 12- and 24-months-old. Upon changing doctors at age 4, Dakota was offered a lead screening and in just two years, Dakota’s blood lead levels increased from 5 micrograms to 45. This left Dakota with permanent developmental challenges that affect her education.  

“I want to thank Governor Hochul for signing this bill into law. When I drafted this legislation with the guidance of Senator Rivera’s team, my end goal was to help my daughter Dakota and ultimately, help prevent children in New York from suffering the devastating effects of lead poisoning," said Tiesha Jones, Dakota's Mother and Bronx Community Leader. "Dakota’s Law will provide parents with the tools they need to protect their children and require stakeholders to take proactive action in a timely manner.”

This law builds on the successful effort by Senator Rivera to lower New York’s State’s action level from 10 micrograms to 5, in accordance with recommendations from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children under six years old whose blood lead levels reach 10 micrograms face developmental toxicity, or permanent damage, due to lead exposure. By taking action when a child has a blood lead level of 5 micrograms, we prevent permanent damage by addressing the source of lead exposure and preventing the lasting damage of lead poisoning. 

Senator Rivera is currently working on the two other bills that make up Dakota’s Law, including bills relating to housing code enforcement and insurance coverage to eliminate cost barriers to care.