House Subcommittee Approves Pallone Legislation to Repair School Water Fountains Containing Lead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2017



Legislation was Successfully Attached to Safe Drinking Water Legislation During an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Markup

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee approved legislation introduced earlier this year by Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) to provide grant funding to public schools to replace lead drinking water fountains. The amendment was approved as part of a Subcommittee markup to reauthorize the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, a larger bill to update America’s drinking water infrastructure. Pallone serves as the Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“Lead in school drinking water is an immediate and serious threat for children in cities across New Jersey and the nation,” said Pallone. “Today we are one step closer to eliminating one of the main sources of lead exposure in schools. My proposal will provide schools with funding to replace lead drinking fountains and continue to monitor lead levels in drinking water for years to come.”

Pallone’s amendment would authorize $5 million for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2021 to help replace older fountains and to supplement the costs of monitoring and reporting lead levels in the drinking water of schools of a local educational agency receiving such funds.

The New Jersey congressman has been a longtime leader in calling for action to improve water infrastructure and to remove lead from our drinking water. Earlier this year, Pallone led House Democrats in introducing legislation to comprehensively update the Safe Drinking Water Act, which has not been updated in more than 20 years.

Pallone’s school drinking water proposal will now advance to the full Energy and Commerce Committee.