Lead Priorities
Federal Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Legislation
In July 2007, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced the "Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act of 2007" (S.1793). The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). A version of this legislation has been introduced every year since 2003 by Sen. Clinton. The objective of the bill is to provide a tax credit for property owners who pay for abatement of "lead-based paint hazards." ACA fully supports this legislation.
The bill seeks to encourage property owners to abate lead-based paint hazards within their units, in an effort to end childhood lead poisoning by 2010. The bill acknowledges that although the number of children with unsafe blood levels has declined, hazards are still present. Current federal lead abatement program funding for HUD has sufficient resources to provide grants to address only 7,000 homes per year.
The bill would provide a $3000 per year tax credit for property owners who pay for full abatement of lead-based paint hazards, or a $1000 per year tax credit for interim control measures taken to eliminate potential exposure to lead-based paint hazards. This legislation would serve as a complement to ACA's Model Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Bill being promoted in key states throughout the country (see Model Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Legislation).
For more information please contact ACA's David Lloyd
