Illinois § 14

§ 14.

Departmental rules and activities. The Department shall establish and publish rules governing permissible limits of lead in and about regulated facilities. No later than 180 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, the Department shall submit proposed amended rules to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to update: the definition of elevated blood lead level to be in accordance with the most recent childhood blood lead level reference value from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the current requirements for the inspection of regulated facilities occupied by children based on the updated definition of elevated blood lead level or the history of lead hazards; and any other existing rules that will assist the Department in its efforts to prevent, reduce, or mitigate the negative impact of instances of lead poisoning among children. The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly do not preclude subsequent rulemaking by the Department. The Department shall also initiate activities that: (a) Either provide for or support the monitoring and validation of all medical laboratories and private and public hospitals that perform lead determination tests on human blood or other tissues. (b) Subject to Section 7.2 of this Act, provide laboratory testing of blood specimens for lead content to any physician, hospital, clinic, free clinic, municipality, or private organization that cannot secure or provide the services through other sources. The Department shall not assume responsibility for blood lead analysis required in programs currently in operation. (c) Develop or encourage the development of appropriate programs and studies to identify sources of lead intoxication and assist other entities in the identification of lead in children's blood and the sources of that intoxication. (d) Provide technical assistance and consultation to local, county, or regional governmental or private agencies for the promotion and development of lead poisoning prevention programs. (e) Provide recommendations by the Department on the subject of identification, case management, and treatment of lead poisoning. (f) Maintain a clearinghouse of information, and will develop additional educational materials, on (i) lead hazards to children, (ii) lead poisoning prevention, (iii) blood lead testing, (iv) lead mitigation, lead abatement, and disposal, and (v) health hazards during lead abatement. The Department shall make this information available to the general public. (Source: P.A. 100-723, eff. 1-1-19.)