{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/at-browns-urging-centers-for-medicare-and-medicaid-services-issues-guidance-on-testing-for-lead-in-children", "At Brown's Urging, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Issues Guidance on Testing for Lead in Children", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Brown is Cosponsor of Legislation that Would Help Schools and Daycare Centers across Ohio Test Their Drinking Water for Lead Contamination \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 2, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Following the urging of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released guidance on blood lead testing for children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Blood lead testing helps medical professionals identify children with elevated blood lead levels in order to help these children receive medical attention before they are harmed. Lead exposure can leave children with lifelong health issues, including difficulty learning or testing in school and behavioral problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). CMS\u2019 guidance helps clarify best practices and establish guidelines for states to meet testing requirements under Medicaid and CHIP.\r\n\u201cIn light of high levels of lead found in homes and schools across Ohio, we know that lead exposure is still a threat to our children, even in 2016,\u201d said Brown. \u201cChildren are most vulnerable to the effects of lead exposure, and I\u2019m glad to see CMS is working to increase the rate of screening and reporting.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 \r\nIn July, Brown wrote a letter to CMS urging the agency to reevaluate its policy regarding lead screening for Medicaid-eligible children and to identify and disseminate best practices for states to reduce barriers to blood lead screening and testing for children across the country. An estimated four million households across the United States are exposed to high levels of lead.\r\nBrown also cosponsored the Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water Act of 2016, legislation that would create a new grant program to help schools conduct regular testing through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help daycare centers and school districts test their drinking water for potential lead contamination. In September, part of Brown\u2019s bill advanced in the Senate, which authorized $20 million annually for testing in schools in the Water Resources Development Act \u2013 a critical water infrastructure bill that is awaiting a final vote by the Congress. \r\nThe Senate also passed provisions sponsored by Brown to help communities like Flint, Michigan, and Sebring, Ohio, including a provision Brown \u200eintroduced earlier this year that requires the EPA to notify communities within 15 days when lead is discovered in drinking water.\u00a0\r\n###\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/at-browns-urging-centers-for-medicare-and-medicaid-services-issues-guidance-on-testing-for-lead-in-children"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4072658959776163, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}