ENGROSSED
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 233
BY REPRESENTATIVE GAINES
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the Department of Environmental Quality to study the feasibility of and
identify potential funding sources for expanding the testing of child-occupied
facilities for lead and mercury and report its findings to the House Committee on
Natural Resources and Environment on or before February 1, 2020.
WHEREAS, lead exposure can cause learning disabilities, hearing difficulties,
behavior problems, and actually impact a child's IQ; and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is
no safe amount of lead that children can ingest; and
WHEREAS, elemental mercury and methylmercury are toxic to the central and
peripheral nervous systems; and
WHEREAS, the inhalation of mercury vapor can produce harmful effects on the
nervous, digestive, and immune systems as well as the lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal;
and
WHEREAS, the inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to the skin, eyes, and
gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested; and
WHEREAS, neurological and behavioral disorders may be observed after inhalation,
ingestion, or dermal exposure of different mercury compounds; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Environmental Quality oversees a program to reduce
lead hazards which includes the testing of child-occupied facilities in an effort to protect
those most vulnerable to exposure.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Department of Environmental
Quality to study the feasibility of and identify potential funding sources for expanding the
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testing of child-occupied facilities for lead and mercury and report its findings to the House
Committee on Natural Resources and Environment on or before February 1, 2020.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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