Rhode Island AG Proposed and Announced Passage of Lead Poisoning Prevention Bills

APRIL 25, 2023

On April 25, 2023, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, along with legislative partners in the House and Senate for each respective bill, announced a package of legislation addressing childhood lead poisoning. HB 6239/SB 804 would establish a state registry of buildings constructed before 1978 (when lead paint was banned). HB 6238/SB 729 would allow tenants in buildings where there are active lead violations to pay their rent into an escrow account, preventing landlords from accessing the money until the violations are resolved. And HB 6201/SB 739 would allow victims of childhood lead poisoning to receive three times the amount of actual damages as a way to incentivize compliance. In a statement, AG Neronha said: “Lead poisoning is absolutely preventable and our Office will take any necessary action to strengthen the enforcement of our laws, and reduce lead exposure within our communities. Taken collectively, these bills will over time increase the number of safe and affordable housing units and establish stiffer penalties for those who refuse to play by the rules. This is a solvable crisis, but only if we address this problem directly and forcefully. I know Rhode Island can do better by our residents, especially our children, and I look forward to advocating for stronger legal tools and more resources for lead-poisoning prevention.”

On June 14, 2023, AG Neronha announced that the General Assembly passed the package of bills, and made the following statement: “For more than 20 years, Rhode Island has had strong lead poisoning prevention laws on the books and with the passage of these bills today, we will finally have the tools we need to enforce compliance with these laws,” said Attorney General Neronha. “These bills contain perhaps the most significant tenant protections that Rhode Island has seen in a generation, and they certainly represent the most significant healthy housing legislation in at least two decades, since the passage of the Lead Hazard Mitigation Act of 2002. I want to express my deepest gratitude to our legislative sponsors and the General Assembly for supporting these bills, and perhaps most importantly to the stakeholders, advocates, partners, and supporters, without whom this package would never have been possible. Together, we are making public health and safe housing a priority.”

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