93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB4481

 

Introduced 02/03/04, by Arthur L. Turner

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Childhood Lead Poisoning Reduction Act. Establishes a Lead Poisoning Prevention Commission. Defines the requirements for lead-free and lead-safe property status. Provides that the owner of an affected property may request that the Department of Public Health inspect an affected property to determine whether it complies with the requirements for lead-free and lead-safe property. Provides that a contractor or supervisor performing lead hazard reduction activities shall be accredited by the Director of Public Health. Establishes immunity from civil liability to a person at risk for an affected property owner who complies with the lead-free or lead-safe standards and offers to pay medical expenses, relocation costs, and attorney's fees. Requires insurers to extend liability coverage to rental property owners for losses or damages caused by exposure to lead-based paint. Provides that civil remedies and criminal penalties shall be enforced against any owner of an affected property who fails to comply. Prohibits retaliatory evictions. Provides for the creation of educational programs designed to inform the public of the problem of lead poisoning and its prevention. Requires the Director of Public Health to establish a program for early identification of persons at risk. Creates a private right to injunctive relief.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning public health.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Childhood Lead Poisoning Reduction Act.
 
6     Section 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:
7     (a) More than 300,000 American children may have levels of
8 lead in their blood in excess of 10 micrograms per deciliter.
9 Unless prevented or treated, elevated blood lead levels in
10 egregious cases may result in impairment of the ability to
11 think, concentrate, and learn.
12     (b) A significant cause of lead poisoning in children is
13 the ingestion of lead particles from deteriorating or abraded
14 lead-based paint from older, poorly maintained residences.
15     (c) The health and development of these children and many
16 others are endangered by chipping or peeling lead-based paint
17 or excessive amounts of lead-contaminated dust in poorly
18 maintained homes.
19     (d) Ninety percent of lead-based paint still remaining in
20 occupied housing exists in units built before 1960, with the
21 remainder in units built before 1978.
22     (e) The dangers posed by lead-based paint can be
23 substantially reduced and largely eliminated by taking
24 measures to prevent paint deterioration and limiting
25 children's exposure to paint chips and lead dust.
26     (f) The deterioration of lead-based paint in older
27 residences results in increased expenses each year for the
28 State of Illinois in the form of special education and other
29 education expenses, medical care for lead-poisoned children,
30 and expenditures for delinquent youth and others needing
31 special supervision.
32     (g) Older housing units remain an important part of

 

 

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1 Illinois housing stock, particularly for those of modest or
2 limited incomes.
3     (h) The possibility of liability exposure among landlords
4 has led many to abandon older properties or to place them in
5 "shell corporations" in order to avoid personal liability.
6     (i) Knowledge of lead-based paint hazards, their control,
7 mitigation, abatement, and risk avoidance is not sufficiently
8 widespread, especially outside urban areas.
9     (j) The incidence of childhood lead poisoning can be
10 reduced substantially without significant additional cost to
11 the State by creating appropriate incentives for property
12 owners to make their properties lead-free or lead-safe and by
13 targeting existing State resources used to prevent childhood
14 lead poisoning more effectively.
 
15     Section 10. Purpose. To promote the elimination of
16 childhood lead poisoning in Illinois, the purposes of this Act
17 are:
18     (a) to significantly reduce the incidence of childhood lead
19 poisoning in Illinois;
20     (b) to increase the supply of affordable rental housing in
21 Illinois in which measures have been taken to reduce
22 substantially the risk of childhood lead poisoning;
23     (c) to improve public awareness of lead safety issues and
24 to educate property owners and tenants about practices that can
25 reduce the incidence of lead poisoning;
26     (d) to provide protection from potentially ruinous tort
27 actions for those landlords who undertake specified lead hazard
28 reduction measures;
29     (e) to encourage the testing of children likely to suffer
30 the consequences of lead poisoning so that prompt diagnosis and
31 treatment, as well as the prevention of harm, are possible; and
32     (f) to provide a mechanism to facilitate prompt payment of
33 medical and rehabilitation expenses and relocation costs for
34 those individuals who are affected by childhood lead poisoning.
 

 

 

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1     Section 15. Definitions. In this Act:
2     "Abatement" means any set of measures designed to
3 permanently eliminate lead-based paint or lead-based paint
4 hazards. Abatement includes the removal of lead-based paint and
5 dust-lead hazards, the permanent enclosure or encapsulation of
6 lead-based paint, the replacement of components or fixtures
7 painted with lead-based paint, and the removal or permanent
8 covering of soil-based hazards.
9     "Affected property" means a room or group of rooms within a
10 property constructed before 1978 that form a single independent
11 habitable dwelling unit for occupation by one or more
12 individuals that has living facilities with permanent
13 provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and
14 sanitation. "Affected property" does not include:
15         (1) an area not used for living, sleeping, eating,
16     cooking, or sanitation, such as an unfinished basement;
17         (2) unit within a hotel, motel, or similar seasonal or
18     transient facility unless such unit is occupied by one or
19     more persons at risk for a period exceeding 30 days;
20         (3) an area which is secured and inaccessible to
21     occupants;
22         (4) a unit which is not offered for rent; or
23         (5) any property owned or operated by a unit of
24     federal, State, or local government, or any public,
25     quasi-public, or municipal corporation, if the property is
26     subject to lead standards that are equal to, or more
27     stringent than, the requirements for lead-safe status
28     under subsection (b) of Section 25.
29     "Change in occupancy" means a change of tenant in an
30     affected property in which the property is vacated and
31     possession is either surrendered to the owner or abandoned.
32     "Chewable surface" means an interior or exterior surface
33     painted with lead-based paint that a child under the age of 6
34     can mouth or chew. Hard metal substrates and other materials
35     that cannot be dented by the bite of a child under the age of 6
36     are not considered chewable.

 

 

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1     "Containment" means the physical measures taken to ensure
2     that dust and debris created or released during lead-based
3     paint hazard reduction are not spread, blown, or tracked from
4     inside to outside of the worksite.
5     "Deteriorated paint" means any interior or exterior paint
6     or other coating that is peeling, chipping, chalking, or
7     cracking, or any paint or coating located on an interior or
8     exterior surface or fixture that is otherwise damaged or
9     separated from the substrate.
10     "Dust-lead hazard" means surface dust in a residential
11     dwelling or a facility occupied by a person at risk that
12     contains a mass per area concentration of lead equal to or
13     exceeding 40 micrograms per square foot on floors or 250
14     micrograms per square foot on interior windowsills based on
15     wipe samples.
16     "Dwelling unit" means a:
17         (1) Single-family dwelling, including attached
18     structures such as porches and stoops; or
19         (2) Housing unit in a structure that contains more than
20     one separate housing unit, and in which each such unit is
21     used or occupied, or intended to be used or occupied, in
22     whole or in part, as the home or separate living quarters
23     of one or more persons.
24     "Elevated blood lead" or "EBL" means a quantity of lead in
25     whole venous blood, expressed in micrograms per deciliter, that
26     exceeds 15 micrograms per deciliter or such other level as may
27     be specifically provided in this Act.
28     "Encapsulation" means the application of a covering or
29     coating that acts as a barrier between the lead-based paint and
30     the environment and that relies for its durability on adhesion
31     between the encapsulant and the painted surface, and on the
32     integrity of the existing bonds between paint layers and
33     between the paint and the substrate. Encapsulation may be used
34     as a method of abatement if it is designed and performed so as
35     to be permanent.
36     "Exterior surfaces" means:

 

 

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1         (1) all fences and porches that are part of an affected
2     property;
3         (2) all outside surfaces of an affected property that
4     are accessible to a child under the age of 6 and that:
5             (A) are attached to the outside of an affected
6         property; or
7             (B) consist of other buildings that are part of the
8         affected property; and
9         (3) all painted surfaces in stairways, hallways,
10     entrance areas, recreation areas, laundry areas, and
11     garages within a multifamily rental dwelling unit that are
12     common to individual dwelling units and are accessible to a
13     child under the age of 6.
14     "Friction surface" means an interior or exterior surface
15     that is subject to abrasion or friction, including, but not
16     limited to, certain window, floor, and stair surfaces.
17     "Hazard reduction" means measures designed to reduce or
18     eliminate human exposure to lead-based hazards through methods
19     including interim controls or abatement or a combination of the
20     two.
21     "High efficiency particle air vacuum" or "HEPA-vacuum"
22     means a device capable of filtering out particles of 0.3
23     microns or greater from a body of air at an efficiency of
24     99.97% or greater. "HEPA-vacuum" includes use of a HEPA-vacuum.
25      "Impact surface" means an interior or exterior surface
26     that is subject to damage from the impact of repeated sudden
27     force, such as certain parts of door frames.
28     "Inspection" means a comprehensive investigation to
29     determine the presence of lead-based paint hazards and the
30     provision of a report explaining the results of the
31     investigation.
32     "Interim controls" means a set of measures designed to
33     reduce temporarily human exposure to lead-based paint hazards.
34     Interim controls include, but are not limited to, repairs,
35     painting, temporary containment, specialized cleaning,
36     clearance, ongoing lead-based paint maintenance activities,

 

 

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1     and the establishment and operation of management and resident
2     education programs.
3      "Interior windowsill" means a portion of the horizontal
4     window ledge that is protruding into the interior of a room.
5     "Lead-based paint" means paint or other surface coatings
6     that contain lead equal to or exceeding one milligram per
7     square centimeter or 0.5 % by weight or 5,000 parts per million
8     by weight.
9     "Lead-based paint hazard" means paint-lead hazards and
10     dust-lead hazards.
11     "Lead-contaminated dust" means dust in affected properties
12     that contains an area or mass concentration of lead in excess
13     of the lead content level determined by the Director by
14     regulation.
15     "Director's local designee" means a municipal, county, or
16     other official designated by the Director of Public Health,
17     responsible for assisting the Director or Director of Public
18     Health, relevant State agencies, and relevant county and
19     municipal authorities, in implementing the activities
20     specified by the Act for the geographical area in which the
21     affected property is located.
22     "Owner" means a person, firm, corporation, nonprofit
23     organization, partnership, government, guardian, conservator,
24     receiver, trustee, executor, or other judicial officer, or
25     other entity which, alone or with others, owns, holds, or
26     controls the freehold or leasehold title or part of the title
27     to property, with or without actually possessing it. The
28     definition includes a vendee who possesses the title, but does
29     not include a mortgagee or an owner of a reversionary interest
30     under a ground rent lease.
31     "Owner" includes any authorized agent of the owner,
32     including a property manager or leasing agent.
33     "Paint-lead hazard" means any one of the following:
34         (1) Any lead-based paint on a friction surface that is
35     subject to abrasion and where the dust-lead levels on the
36     nearest horizontal surface underneath the friction surface

 

 

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1     (e.g., the windowsill or floor) are equal to or greater
2     than the dust-lead hazard levels defined in this
3     subsection;
4         (2) Any damaged or otherwise deteriorated lead-based
5     paint on an impact surface that is caused by impact from a
6     related building material, such as a door knob that knocks
7     into a wall or a door that knocks against its door frame;
8         (3) Any chewable lead-based painted surface on which
9     there is evidence of teeth marks; or
10         (4) Any other deteriorated lead-based paint in or on
11     the exterior of any residential building or any facility
12     occupied by a person at risk.
13     "Permanent" means an expected design life of at least 20
14 years.
15     "Person at risk" means a child under the age of 6 or a
16 pregnant woman who resides or regularly spends at least 24
17 hours per week in an affected property.
18     "Relocation expenses" means all expenses necessitated by
19     the relocation of a tenant's household to lead-safe housing,
20     including moving and hauling expenses, the HEPA-vacuuming of
21     all upholstered furniture, payment of a security deposit for
22     the lead-safe housing, and installation and connection of
23     utilities and appliances.
24      "Soil-lead hazard" means soil on residential real property
25     or on property of a facility occupied by a person at risk that
26     contains total lead equal to or exceeding 400 parts per million
27     in a play area or average of 1,200 parts per million of bare
28     soil in the rest of the yard based on soil samples.
29     "Tenant" means the individual named as the lessee in a
30     lease, rental agreement, or occupancy agreement for a dwelling
31     unit.
32     "Wipe sample" means a sample collected by wiping a
33     representative surface of known area, as determined by ASTM
34     E1728 ("Standard Practice for the Field Collection of Settled
35     Dust Samples Using Wipe Sampling Methods for Lead Determination
36     by Atomic Spectrometry Techniques"), with lead determination

 

 

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1     conducted by an accredited laboratory participating in the
2     Environmental Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLAP).
 
3     Section 20. Lead Poisoning Prevention Commission.
4     (a) The Governor shall appoint a Lead Poisoning Prevention
5 Commission.
6         (1) The duties of the Commission are to:
7             (A) report to the Governor, the President of the
8         Senate, and the Speaker of the House in writing by
9         October 1, 2005, recommending legislation providing
10         effective measures providing both additional
11         incentives for all affected property owners to bring
12         their premises into compliance with the lead safe
13         standards outlined in subsection (b) of Section 25,
14         additional means of enforcement and penalties for
15         those property owners who fail to achieve compliance.
16         The incentives to be considered should include, among
17         others, state income or local property tax credits and
18         revolving loan funds;
19             (B) study and collect information on the
20         effectiveness of this Act in fulfilling its
21         legislative purposes as defined in Section 10;
22             (C) make policy recommendations, in addition to
23         those mandated by subparagraph (A), regarding how best
24         to achieve the legislative purposes of this Act as set
25         forth in Section 10;
26             (D) consult with the responsible departments of
27         state government on the implementation of this Act; and
28             (E) write and submit a report by October 1, 2005 to
29         the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
30         Speaker of the House, on the results of implementing
31         this Act.
32         (2) The Commission shall consist of 9 members. The
33     membership shall include:
34             (A) the Director of Public Health or his or her
35         local designee;

 

 

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1             (B) the Director of the Illinois Housing
2         Development Authority or his or her local designee;
3             (C) one member of the State Senate, appointed by
4         the President;
5             (D) one member of the State House of
6         Representatives appointed by the Speaker; and
7             (E) five members appointed by the Governor
8         including:
9                 (i) a child advocate;
10                 (ii) a health care provider;
11                 (iii) a representative of local government;
12             and
13                 (iv) two owners of rental property in the
14             State.
15         (3) The Commission shall be chaired by the Director of
16     Public Health.
17         (4) Members of the Commission shall serve without
18     additional compensation.
 
19     Section 25. Requirements for lead-free status and
20 lead-safe status.
21     (a) Requirements for lead-free property status. An
22 affected property is lead-free if:
23         (1) the affected property was construed after 1978; or
24         (2) the owner of the affected property submits to the
25     Director of the Public Health for the jurisdiction in which
26     such property is located an inspection report which
27     indicates that the affected property has been tested for
28     the presence of lead in accordance with standards and
29     procedures established by the regulations promulgated by
30     the Director and states that:
31             (A) all interior surfaces of the affected property
32         are lead-free; and
33             (B) all exterior painted surfaces of the affected
34         property that were chipping, peeling, or flaking have
35         been restored with non-lead-based, or no exterior

 

 

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1         painted surfaces of the affected property are
2         chipping, peeling, or flaking.
3     (b) Requirements for lead-safe property status. An
4     affected property is lead-safe if the following treatments to
5     reduce lead-based paint hazards have been completed by someone
6     certified under Section 35 of this Act and in compliance with
7     the regulations established by the Director of Public Health:
8         (1) visual review of all exterior and interior painted
9     surfaces;
10         (2) removal and repainting of chipping, peeling, or
11     flaking paint on exterior and interior painted surfaces;
12         (3) stabilization and repainting of any interior or
13     exterior painted surface which have lead-based paint
14     hazards;
15         (4) repair of any structural defect that is causing the
16     paint to chip, peel, or flake that the owner of the
17     affected property has knowledge of, or with the exercise of
18     reasonable care, should have knowledge of;
19         (5) stripping and repainting, replacing, or
20     encapsulating all interior windowsills and window troughs
21     with vinyl, metal, or any other durable materials which
22     render the surface smooth and cleanable;
23         (6) installation of caps of vinyl, aluminum, or any
24     other material in a manner and under conditions approved by
25     the Director of Public Health in all window wells in order
26     to make the window wells smooth and cleanable;
27         (7) fixing the top sash of all windows in place in
28     order to eliminate the friction caused by movement of the
29     top sash, except for a treated or replacement window that
30     is free of lead-based paint on its friction surfaces;
31         (8) re-hanging all doors as necessary to prevent the
32     rubbing together of a lead-painted surface with another
33     surface;
34         (9) making all bare floors smooth and cleanable;
35         (10) ensuring that all kitchen and bathroom floors are
36     overlaid with a smooth, water-resistant covering; and

 

 

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1         (11) HEPA-vacuuming and washing of the interior of the
2     affected property with high phosphate detergent or its
3     equivalent, as determined by the Director of Public Health.
4     (c) Repairs to comply with standards.
5         (1) Whenever an owner of an affected property intends
6     to make repairs or perform maintenance work that will
7     disturb the paint on interior surfaces of an affected
8     property, the owner shall give any tenant in such affected
9     property at least 48 hours' written advance notice and
10     shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that all persons
11     who are not persons at risk are not present in the area
12     where work is performed and that all persons at risk are
13     removed from the affected property when the work is
14     performed.
15         (2) A tenant shall allow access to an affected
16     property, at reasonable times, to the owner to perform any
17     work required under this Act.
18         (3) If a tenant must vacate an affected property for a
19     period of 24 hours or more in order to allow an owner to
20     perform work that will disturb the paint on interior
21     surfaces, the owner shall pay the reasonable expenses that
22     the tenant incurs directly related to the required
23     relocation.
24         (4) If an owner has made all reasonable efforts to
25     cause the tenant to temporarily vacate an affected property
26     in order to perform work that will disturb the paint on
27     interior surfaces, and the tenant refuses to vacate the
28     affected property, the owner may not be liable for any
29     damages arising from the tenant's refusal to vacate.
30         (5) If an owner has made all reasonable efforts to gain
31     access to an affected property in order to perform any work
32     required under this Act, and the tenant refuses to allow
33     access, even after receiving reasonable advance notice of
34     the need for access, the owner may not be liable for any
35     damages arising from the tenant's refusal to allow access.
 

 

 

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1     Section 30. Inspection of affected properties.
2     (a) Voluntary inspections.
3         (1) An owner of an affected property at any time after
4     the effective date of this Act may request that the
5     Director of the Department of Public Health or a Director's
6     local designee inspect an affected property to determine
7     whether it complies with the requirements of lead-free as
8     specified in subsection (a) of Section 25 or the
9     requirements of lead-safe as specified in subsection (b) of
10     Section 25. Such inspection shall be completed within 30
11     days following the owner's request.
12         (2) Any affected property certified as either
13     lead-free or lead-safe following a voluntary inspection
14     pursuant to subsection (a)(1) shall be:
15             (A) entitled to the liability protection
16         provisions of Section 40; and
17             (B) in compliance with all state and local
18         requirements, whether included in housing codes or
19         ordinances or any other regulatory or criminal
20         statutes or ordinances, governing lead paint contained
21         in an affected property.
22     (b) Mandatory compliance. The Lead Poisoning Prevention
23     Commission established by Section 20 shall either develop a
24     proposal for mandatory inspections of all affected properties
25     to be implemented by January 1, 2006, or shall develop
26     alternative measures of enforcement and penalties to ensure
27     that all affected properties comply with either the lead-free
28     standard described in subsection (a) of Section 25 or the
29     lead-safe standard described in subsection (b) of Section 25
30     within a reasonable period of time following January 1, 2006.
31     (c) Expedited inspection. The Director of Public Health or
32     the Director's local designee for the jurisdiction in which
33     such property is located shall order an inspection of an
34     affected property, at the expense of the owner of the affected
35     property, whenever the Director of Public Health or the
36     Director's local designee for the jurisdiction in which such

 

 

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1     property is located, after January 1, 2005, is notified that
2     the affected property reasonably appears to comply with neither
3     the lead-free standard or the lead-safe standard as those
4     standards are defined in Section 25 and a person at risk
5     resides in the affected property or spends more than 24 hours
6     per week in the affected property. An inspection required under
7     this subsection shall be completed within 90 days after
8     notification of the Director of Public Health or the Director's
9     local designee for the jurisdiction in which such property is
10     located.
11     (d) Emergency inspection. The Director of Public Health or
12     the Director's local designee for the jurisdiction in which
13     such property is located shall order an inspection of an
14     affected property, at the expense of the owner of the affected
15     property, whenever the Director of Public Health or the
16     Director's local designee for the jurisdiction in which such
17     property is located, is notified that a person at risk who
18     resides in the affected property or spends more than 24 hours
19     per week in the affected property has an elevated blood lead
20     level greater than or equal to 15 micrograms per deciliter. An
21     inspection under this subsection shall be completed within 15
22     days after notification of the Director of Public Health or the
23     Director's local designee for the jurisdiction in which such
24     property is located.
25     (e) Inspection report. The inspector shall submit a
26     verified report of the result of the inspection to the
27     Executive Director of the Illinois Housing Development
28     Authority or the Executive Director's designee, and the
29     Director of the Department of Public Health or the Director's
30     local designee for the jurisdiction in which such property is
31     located, the owner, and the tenant, if any, of the affected
32     property.
33     (f) Inspection fees. The owner of an affected property
34     shall pay a fee at the time of the inspection of an affected
35     property sufficient to pay the full costs of the inspection
 

 

 

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1     Section 35. Accreditation of inspectors and contractors
2 performing work.
3     (a) Accreditation of persons performing lead hazard
4 reduction activities. No person shall act as a contractor or
5 supervisor to perform the work necessary for lead-hazard
6 abatement as defined in this Act unless that person is
7 accredited by the Director of Public Health. The Director shall
8 accredit for these purposes any person meeting the standards
9 described in one of the following subsections:
10         (1) Regulations to be adopted by the Director of Public
11     Health pursuant to this Act governing the accreditation of
12     individuals to engage in lead-based paint activities
13     sufficient to satisfy the requirements of 40 Code of
14     Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) 745.325 (2001) or any
15     applicable successor provisions to 40 C.F.R. 745.325
16     (2001).
17         (2) Certification by the United States Environmental
18     Protection Agency to engage in lead-based paint activities
19     pursuant to 40 C.F.R. 745.226 (2001) or any applicable
20     successor provisions to 40 C.F.R. 745.226 (2001).
21         (3) Certification by a state or tribal program
22     authorized by the United States Environmental Protection
23     Agency to certify individuals engaged in lead-based paint
24     activities pursuant to 40 C.F.R. 745.325 (2001) or any
25     applicable successor provisions to 40 C.F.R. 745.325
26     (2001). The Director of Public Health shall, by regulation,
27     create exceptions to the accreditation requirement for
28     instances where the disturbance of lead-based paint is
29     incidental.
30     (b) Accreditation of persons performing inspections. An
31     inspector accredited by the Director shall conduct all
32     inspections required by Section 30 of this Act, or otherwise
33     required by this Act. The Director of Public Health shall
34     accredit as an inspector any individual meeting the following
35     requirements:
36         (1) Regulations to be adopted by the Director pursuant

 

 

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1     to this Act governing the accreditation of individuals
2     eligible to conduct the inspections required by this Act;
3     or
4         (2) Certification to conduct risk assessments by the
5     EPA pursuant to 40 C.F.R. 745.226(b) (2001) or any
6     applicable successor provisions to 40 C.F.R. 745.226
7     (2001).
8     (c) Duration of certification. The accreditation of
9     contractors or supervisors of those performing the work
10     necessary for lead hazard abatement, and the accreditation of
11     those performing the inspections required by this Section,
12     shall extend for a period of 3 years unless the Director of
13     Public Health has probable cause to believe a person accredited
14     under this Section has violated the terms of the accreditation
15     or engaged in illegal or unethical conduct related to
16     inspections required by this Act, in which case the
17     accreditation to perform inspections shall be suspended
18     pending a hearing in accordance with the provisions of state
19     law.
20     (d) Registration fees. The Director shall establish by
21     regulation a schedule of fees for the registration of persons
22     performing lead hazard abatement and a separate schedule for
23     persons performing inspections pursuant to this Act. Such fees
24     shall be required to be paid at the time of initial
25     registration and at the time of subsequent renewal of
26     registration, and shall be sufficient to cover all costs,
27     including the costs of state personnel, attributable to
28     accreditation activities conducted under this Section.
29         (1) Fees collected pursuant to this subsection will be
30     held in a continuing, non-lapsing special fund to be used
31     for accreditation purposes under this Section.
32         (2) The State Treasurer shall hold and the State
33     Comptroller shall account for this fund.
34         (3) The fund established under this subsection shall be
35     invested and reinvested and any investment earnings shall
36     be paid into the fund.

 

 

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1     (e) Enforcement. The provisions and procedures of
2     appropriate state statutes governing violation of business and
3     professional licensing statutes shall be used and shall apply
4     to enforce violations of this Section, any regulations adopted
5     under this subtitle, and any condition of accreditation issued
6     under this Act.
 
7     Section 40. Liability protection and the qualified offer.
8     (a) Scope of application. This Section applies to all
9 potential bases of civil liability for alleged injury or loss
10 to a person caused by the ingestion of lead by a person at risk
11 in an affected property; except that this Section does not
12 apply to any claim in which the elevated blood lead level of
13 the person at risk is documented to have existed on or before
14 the date, 60 days after the affected property where the person
15 at risk resides or otherwise allegedly was exposed to lead, has
16 been certified as lead-free under subsection (a) of Section 25
17 or lead-safe under subsection (b) of Section 25.
18     (b) Requirements for immunity from liability. A property
19 owner and his or her agents and employees are immune from civil
20 liability to a person at risk, his or her parents, or legal
21 guardian for injuries or damages resulting from the ingestion
22 of lead contained in an affected property if:
23         (1) the property has been certified as lead-free under
24     subsection (a) of Section 25 or as lead-safe under
25     subsection (b) of Section 25; and
26         (2) the property owner or his agent has made a
27     qualified offer as defined in subsection (e), to the person
28     at risk or his or her parent or legal guardian, in a case
29     in which the person at risk has a documented elevated blood
30     lead level of 15 micrograms per deciliter or more performed
31     more than 60 days following certification of the premises
32     as lead-safe or lead-free pursuant to Section 25,
33     regardless of whether such qualified offer has been
34     accepted or rejected by the person at risk, or his or her
35     parent or legal guardian.

 

 

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1     (c) Exceptions to immunity. The immunity described in
2     subsection (b) does not apply if it is shown that one of the
3     following has occurred:
4         (1) the owner or his or her employee or agent obtained
5     the certification or lead-free or lead-safe status by
6     fraud;
7         (2) the owner or his or her employee or agent violated
8     a condition of the certification;
9         (3) during renovation, remodeling, maintenance or
10     repair after receiving the certificate, the owner or his or
11     her employee or agent created a lead-based paint hazard
12     that was present in the affected property at the time the
13     person at risk either was exposed to a lead-based paint
14     hazard or first was tested with an elevated blood lead
15     level greater than 15 micrograms per deciliter;
16         (4) the owner or his or her employee or agent failed to
17     respond in a timely manner to notification by a tenant, by
18     the Director of Public Health, by the Director's local
19     designee for the jurisdiction in which such property is
20     located, or by a local housing or health department that a
21     lead-based paint hazard might be present; or
22         (5) the lead poisoning or lead exposure was caused by a
23     source of lead in the affected property other than
24     lead-based paint.
25     (d) Documentation and notification of injury. A person may
26     not bring an action against an owner of an affected property
27     whose property has been certified as lead-free under subsection
28     (a) of Section 25 or lead-safe as certified under subsection
29     (b) of Section 25 for damages arising from alleged injury or
30     loss to a person at risk caused by lead-based paint hazard
31     unless he or she documents his or her alleged injury with a
32     test for elevated blood levels and presents a written notice to
33     the owner of the affected property or his or her agent or
34     employee of the claim and test results.
35         (1) If such test results show an elevated blood level
36     of less than 15 micrograms per deciliter, the person at

 

 

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1     risk, or his or her parent or legal guardian, shall not
2     recover damages from the owner of the affected property,
3     his or her agents, or employees unless the person at risk,
4     his or her parent, or legal guardian can show by clear and
5     convincing evidence that the person at risk damage or
6     injury resulted from exposure to lead-based paint and was
7     caused by either:
8             (A) intentional acts by the owner, his or her
9         agents, or employees; or
10             (B) actions of the owner, his or her agents, or
11         employees with knowledge, with a substantial certainty
12         that such actions would injure the person at risk or
13         others similarly situated.
14         (2) If such test results show an elevated blood level
15     of 15 micrograms per deciliter or greater, the owner of the
16     affected property or his or her agent or employee shall
17     have the opportunity to make a qualified offer under
18     subsection (e).
19         (3) If the concentration of lead in a whole venous
20     blood sample of a person at risk tested within 60 days
21     after the person at risk begins residence or regularly
22     spends at least 24 hours per week in an affected property
23     that is certified as being in compliance with the
24     provisions of subsections (a) or (b) of Section 25 is equal
25     to or greater than 15 micrograms per deciliter, it shall be
26     presumed that the exposure to lead-based paint occurred
27     before a person at risk began residing or regularly
28     spending at least 24 hours per week in the affected
29     property.
30     (e) Qualified offer.
31         (1) A qualified offer as defined in this subsection may
32     be made to a person at risk by the owner of the affected
33     property, an insurer of the owner, or an agent, employee,
34     or attorney of the owner.
35         (2) To qualify for the protection of liability under
36     subsection (b), a qualified offer must be made in writing

 

 

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1     and delivered by certified mail return receipt requested,
2     within 30 days after the owner of the affected property,
3     his or her agent, or employee receives notice of the
4     elevated blood level referred to in subsection (d)(2).
5         (3) A qualified offer made under this subsection may be
6     accepted or rejected by a person at risk, or if a person at
7     risk is a minor, such person's parent or legal guardian. If
8     the qualified offer is not accepted within 30 days of
9     receipt of the qualified offer, it shall be deemed to have
10     been rejected. By mutual agreement, the parties may extend
11     the period for acceptance of the qualified offer.
12         (4) Subject to the exception in subsection (e)(5),
13     acceptance of a qualified offer by a person at risk, or by
14     a parent, legal guardian, or other person authorized to
15     respond on behalf of a person at risk, discharges and
16     releases all potential liability of the offeror, the
17     offeror's insured or principal, and any participating
18     co-offeror to the person at risk and to the parent or legal
19     guardian of the person at risk for alleged injury or loss
20     caused by the lead-based paint hazard in the affected
21     property.
22             (5) No owner of an affected property, or his or her
23     agent, employee, attorney or anyone else acting on his or
24     her behalf shall represent to a person at risk, his or her
25     parent or guardian, or anyone else acting on his or her
26     behalf, that an offer of settlement in an action resulting
27     from a lead-based paint hazard in an affected property is a
28     qualified offer unless the affected property have been
29     certified as lead-free under subsection (a) of Section 25
30     or lead-safe under subsection (b) of Section 25 and unless
31     the offeror reasonably believes that the settlement offer
32     satisfies all requirements of this Section. Any settlement
33     resulting from a settlement offer purporting to be a
34     qualified offer which does not satisfy the requirements of
35     this Section, shall at the election of the person at risk,
36     his or her parent or guardian, or other representative, be

 

 

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1     deemed null and void and of no legal effect. Further,
2     misrepresentation of a settlement offer as a qualified
3     offer when in fact the offer does not meet these
4     requirements may subject the offeror to criminal penalties
5     under the appropriate criminal statute for perjury and
6     professional disciplinary codes where applicable. The
7     statute of limitations for an action by a person at risk
8     with an elevated blood level, his or her parent or legal
9     guardian is tolled until the misrepresentation described
10     in this subsection is discovered.
11         (6) A copy of the qualified offer shall be sent to the
12     Director of Public Health, the Director's local designee,
13     or the local health department. The Director of Public
14     Health, the Director's local designee, or the local health
15     department shall maintain a copy of the qualified offer in
16     the case management file of the person at risk. In
17     addition, the Director of Public Health, the Director's
18     local designee, or the local health department also shall
19     directly notify the person at risk, or in the case of a
20     minor, the parent or legal guardian of the minor, of state
21     and local resources available for lead poisoning
22     prevention and treatment.
23         (7) A qualified offer shall include payment for
24     reasonable expenses and costs incurred by the person at
25     risk with an elevated blood level of 15 micrograms per
26     deciliter or greater for:
27             (A) the relocation of the household of the person
28         at risk to a lead-safe dwelling unit of comparable size
29         and quality that may provide either:
30                 (i) the permanent relocation of the household
31             of the affected person at risk to lead-safe
32             housing, including relocation expenses, a rent
33             subsidy, and incidental expenses; or
34                 (ii) the temporary relocation of the household
35             of the affected person at risk to lead-safe housing
36             while necessary lead hazard reduction treatments

 

 

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1             are being performed in the affected property to
2             make that affected property lead-safe.
3             (B) medically necessary treatment for the affected
4         person at risk as determined by the treating physician
5         or other health care provider or case manager of the
6         person at risk that is necessary to mitigate the
7         effects of lead poisoning, as defined by the Department
8         of Public Health by regulation, and in the case of a
9         child, until the child reaches the age of 18; and
10             (C) reasonable attorney's fees, not to exceed the
11         lesser of $2,500 or actual time spent in the
12         investigation, preparation, and presentation of the
13         claim multiplied by an hourly rate of $150 per hour.
14         (8) An offeror is required to pay reasonable expenses
15     for the medically necessary treatments under subsection
16     (e)(7)(B) of this Section only if coverage for these
17     treatments is not otherwise provided by Medicaid, state
18     medical assistance program, or by a health insurance plan
19     under which the person at risk has coverage or in which the
20     person at risk is enrolled. The health insurance plan shall
21     have no right of subrogation against the party making the
22     qualified offer.
23         (9) Aggregate maximum amounts payable. The amounts
24     payable under a qualified offer made under this Section are
25     subject to the following aggregate maximum caps:
26             (A) $25,000 for all medically necessary treatments
27         as provided and limited in subsection (e)(7)(B);
28             (B) $10,000 for all relocation benefits as
29         provided and limited in subsection (e)(7)(A).
30      All payments under a qualified offer specified in
31     subsection (e)(7) shall be paid to the provider of the service,
32     except that payment of incidental expenses may be paid directly
33     to the person at risk, or in the case of a child, to the parent
34     or legal guardian of the person at risk.
35      The payments under a qualified offer may not be considered
36     income or an asset of the person at risk, the parent of a

 

 

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1     person at risk who is a child, or the legal guardian, for
2     purposes of determining eligibility under any state or federal
3     entitlement program.
4     (10) Certification of compliance. A qualified offer shall
5     include a certification by the owner of the affected property,
6     under the penalties of perjury, that the owner has complied
7     with the applicable provisions of Section 25 and of this
8     Section in a manner that qualified the owner to make a
9     qualified offer.
10     (11) Offers of compromise. A qualified offer shall not be
11     treated as an offer of compromise for purposes of admissibility
12     in evidence, notwithstanding that the amount is not in
13     controversy.
14     (12) Regulations. The Director of Public Health may adopt
15     regulations that are necessary to carry out the provisions of
16     this Section.
17     (f) Presumption of negligence in a case against
18     non-complying property owner.
19         (1) An owner of an affected property, who is not in
20     compliance with the provisions of either subsection (a) of
21     Section 25 or subsection (b) of Section 25 during the
22     period of residency of a person at risk, is presumed to
23     have failed to exercise reasonable care with respect to
24     lead-based paint hazards during that period in an action
25     seeking damages on behalf of the person at risk for alleged
26     injury or loss resulting from exposure to lead-based paint
27     hazards in the affected property.
28         (2) The owner has the burden of rebutting this
29     presumption by clear and convincing evidence.
30         (3) The plaintiff in an action against an owner of an
31     affected property described in subsection (f)(1), in
32     addition to recovering all other legally cognizable
33     damages, including punitive damages where appropriate,
34     shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees.
 
35     Section 45. Enforcement.

 

 

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1     (a) Full enforcement of criminal violations and civil
2 remedies. Owners of affected properties who fail to comply with
3 the provisions of either subsection (a) of Section 25 or
4 subsection (b) of Section 25 shall be deemed in violation of
5 any applicable housing codes. The Office of the Illinois
6 Attorney General and any local authorities responsible for the
7 enforcement of housing codes shall enforce vigorously civil
8 remedies and criminal penalties provided for by law arising out
9 of the failure to comply with the requirements of this Act and
10 may seek injunctive relief where appropriate.
11     (b) Reporting of enforcement actions. Any civil or criminal
12 action by state or local officials to enforce the provisions of
13 this Act shall be reported to the Director of Public Health or
14 his or her local designee. The Director of Public Health or his
15 or her local designee shall issue an annual report outlining
16 specifically the enforcement actions brought pursuant to
17 subsection (a), the identity of the owners of the affected
18 properties, the authority bringing the enforcement action, the
19 nature of the action, and describing the criminal penalties and
20 civil relief.
21     (c) Receivership of properties not meeting standards.
22 After the second written notice from the Director of Public
23 Health, the Director of Public Health's local designee, or the
24 local department of health, of violations of the provisions of
25 this Act occurring within an affected property, or after two
26 criminal or civil actions pursuant to subsection (a) brought by
27 either State or local officials to enforce this Act arising out
28 of violations occurring within an affected property, unless the
29 violations alleged to exist are corrected, the affected
30 property shall be considered abandoned, and the Attorney
31 General, the Director of Public Health, or the Director of
32 Public Health's local designee, or the local department of
33 health, or any other officials having jurisdiction over the
34 affected property shall have the specific power to request the
35 court to appoint a receiver for the property. The court in such
36 instances may specifically authorize the receiver to apply for

 

 

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1 loans, grants, and other forms of funding necessary to correct
2 lead-based paint hazards and meet the standards for lead-safe
3 or lead-free status, and to hold the affected property for such
4 period of time as the funding source may require to assure that
5 the purposes of the funding have been met. The costs of such
6 receivership shall constitute a lien against the property that,
7 if not discharged by the owner upon receipt of the receiver's
8 demand for payment, shall constitute grounds for foreclosure
9 proceedings instituted by the receiver to recover such costs.
 
10     Section 50. Private right to injunctive relief.
11     (a) Right to lead-free or lead-safe housing. A person at
12 risk shall be deemed to have a right to housing which is either
13 lead-free or lead-safe as outlined in this Act.
14     (b) Private right of action for injunctive relief. If an
15 owner of an affected property fails to comply with such
16 standards, a private right of action shall exist that allows a
17 person at risk or the parent or legal guardian of a person at
18 risk to seek injunctive relief from a court with jurisdiction
19 against the owner of the affected property in the form of a
20 court order to compel compliance with the requirements of this
21 Act.
22      (c) Notice of intent to seek injunctive relief. A court
23 shall not grant the injunctive relief requested pursuant to
24 subsection (b), unless, at least 30 days prior to the filing
25 requesting the injunction, the owner of the affected property
26 has received written notice of the violation of standards
27 contained in Section 25 and has failed to bring the affected
28 property into compliance with the applicable standards. This
29 notice to the owner of the affected property is satisfied when
30 any of the following has occurred: (1) a person at risk, his or
31 her parent or legal guardian, or attorney, has notified the
32 owner of an affected property that the property fails to meet
33 the requirements for either lead-free status under subsection
34 (a) of Section 25 or lead-safe status under subsection (b) of
35 Section 25; (2) a local or state housing authority or the

 

 

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1 Department of Public Health has notified the owner of the
2 affected property of violations of the provisions of the Act
3 occurring within an affected property; or (3) a criminal or
4 civil action pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 45 has been
5 brought by either State or local enforcement officials to
6 enforce this Act arising out of violations occurring within an
7 affected property.
8     (d) Right to recover litigation costs and attorney's fees.
9 A person who prevails in an action under subsection (b) is
10 entitled to an award of the costs of the litigation and to an
11 award of reasonable attorney's fees in an amount to be fixed by
12 the court.
13     (e) Accelerated hearing. Cases brought before the court
14 under this Section shall be granted an accelerated hearing.
 
15     Section 55. Retaliatory evictions prohibited.
16     (a) Actions protected. An owner of an affected property may
17 not evict or take any other retaliatory action against a person
18 at risk or his or her parent or legal guardian in response to
19 the actions of the person at risk, his or her parent or legal
20 guardian in:
21         (1) providing information to the owner of the affected
22     property, the Director of Public Health, or the Director of
23     Public Health's local designee for the jurisdiction in
24     which such property is located, local health officials, or
25     local housing officials concerning lead-based paint
26     hazards within an affected property or elevated blood
27     levels of a person at risk; or
28         (2) enforcing any of his or her rights under this Act.
29      (b) A retaliatory action includes any of the following
30 actions in which the activities protected under subsection (a)
31 are a material factor in motivating the action:
32         (1) a refusal to renew a lease;
33         (2) a termination of a tenancy;
34         (3) an arbitrary rent increase or decrease in services
35     to which the person at risk or his or her parent or legal

 

 

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1     guardian is entitled; or
2         (4) any form of constructive eviction.
3     (c) Remedies. A person at risk or his or her parent or
4     legal guardian subject to an eviction or retaliatory action
5     under this Section is entitled to the relief as may be provided
6     by statute or any further relief deemed just and equitable by
7     the court, and is eligible for reasonable attorney's fees and
8     costs.
 
9     Section 60. Educational programs.
10     (a) Distribution of literature about childhood lead
11 poisoning. Within 120 days following the effective date of this
12 Act, the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the
13 Lead Poisoning Prevention Commission, shall develop culturally
14 and linguistically appropriate information pamphlets regarding
15 childhood lead poisoning, the importance of testing for
16 elevated blood levels, prevention of childhood lead poisoning,
17 treatment of childhood lead poisoning, and where appropriate,
18 the requirements of this Act. It is a requirement of this Act
19 that the information pamphlets be distributed to parents or the
20 other legal guardians of children 6 years of age or younger on
21 the following occasions:
22         (1) by the owner of any affected property or his or her
23     agents or employees at the time of the initiation of a
24     rental agreement to a new tenant whose household includes a
25     person at risk or any other woman of childbearing age. The
26     owner of the affected property or his or her agents or
27     employees also shall specify whether the affected property
28     has been inspected and whether or not it complies with the
29     standards for either lead-safe status or lead-free status;
30         (2) by the health care provider at the time of the
31     child's birth and at the time of any childhood immunization
32     or vaccine unless it is established that such information
33     pamphlet has been provided previously to the parent or
34     legal guardian by the health care provider within the prior
35     12 months; and

 

 

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1         (3) by the owner or operator of any child care
2     facility, pre-school, or kindergarten class on or before
3     October 15 of the calendar year.
4     (b) Lead-safe housing seminars. The Director of Public
5     Health, within 120 days following the effective date of this
6     Act, shall establish guidelines and a trainer's manual for a
7     Lead-Safe Housing Awareness Seminar with a total class time of
8     3 hours or less. Such courses shall be offered by professional
9     associations and community organizations with a training
10     capacity, existing accredited educational institutions, and
11     for-profit educational providers. All such offerings proposals
12     shall be reviewed and approved, on the criteria of seminar
13     content and qualifications of instructors, by the Illinois
14     Department of Public Health.
 
15     Section 65. Screening program.
16     (a) Screening of children. The Director of Public Health or
17 his or her local designee shall establish a program for early
18 identification of persons at risk with elevated blood lead
19 levels. Such program shall systematically screen children
20 under 6 years of age in the target populations identified in
21 subsection (b) for the presence of elevated blood lead levels.
22 Children within the specified target populations shall be
23 screened with a blood lead test at ages 12 and 24 months or at
24 ages 36 to 72 months if they have not previously been screened.
25 The Director of Public Health shall, after consultation with
26 recognized professional medical groups and such other sources
27 as he or she deems appropriate, promulgate regulations
28 establishing, (i) the means by which and the intervals at which
29 such children under 6 years of age shall be screened for lead
30 poisoning and elevated blood lead levels; and (ii) guidelines
31 for the medical follow-up on children found to have elevated
32 blood lead levels.
33     (b) Screening priorities. In developing screening programs
34 to identify persons at risk with elevated blood lead levels,
35 the Director of Public Health shall give priority to persons

 

 

HB4481 - 28 - LRB093 20796 RXD 46713 b

1 within the following categories:
2         (1) all children enrolled in Medicaid at ages 12 and 24
3     months or at ages 36 to 72 months if they have not
4     previously been screened;
5         (2) children under the age of 6 exhibiting delayed
6     cognitive development or other symptoms of childhood lead
7     poisoning;
8         (3) persons at risk residing in the same household, or
9     recently residing in the same household, as another person
10     at risk with a blood lead level of 10 micrograms per
11     deciliter or greater;
12         (4) persons at risk residing, or who have recently
13     resided, in buildings or geographical areas where
14     significant numbers of cases of lead poisoning or elevated
15     blood lead levels have recently been reported;
16         (5) persons at risk residing, or who have recently
17     resided, in affected properties contained in buildings
18     which during the preceding 3 years have been subject to
19     enforcement actions described in subsection (a) of Section
20     45, receivership actions under subsection (c) of Section
21     45, or where injunctive relief has been sought pursuant to
22     Section 50;
23         (6) persons at risk residing, or who have recently
24     resided, in other affected properties with the same owner
25     as another building containing affected properties which
26     during the preceding 3 years have been subject to
27     enforcement actions described in subsection (a) of Section
28     45, receivership actions under subsection (c) of Section
29     45, or where injunctive relief has been sought pursuant to
30     Section 50; and
31         (7) persons at risk residing in other buildings or
32     geographical areas where the Director reasonably
33     determines there to be a significant risk of affected
34     individuals having a blood lead level of 10 micrograms per
35     deciliter or greater.
36     (c) Director to maintain records of screenings and inform

 

 

HB4481 - 29 - LRB093 20796 RXD 46713 b

1     designated individuals. The Director of Public Health or his or
2     her local designee shall maintain comprehensive records of all
3     screenings conducted pursuant to this Section. Such records
4     shall be indexed geographically and by owner in order to
5     determine the location of areas of relatively high incidence of
6     lead poisoning and other elevated blood lead levels. These
7     comprehensive records shall be communicated to the Director of
8     Public Health or his or her local designee on an ongoing basis.
9     Such records, with the names of tested individuals removed for
10     privacy purposes, shall be public records. All cases or
11     probable cases of lead poisoning, as defined by regulation by
12     the Director of Public Health, found in the course of
13     screenings conducted pursuant to this Section shall be reported
14     immediately to the affected individual, to his or her parent or
15     legal guardian if he or she is a minor, and to the Director.