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Landlords in Philadelphia will be required to test for the presence of lead paint, under a measure approved by the city council last week.
Council member Blondell Reynolds Brown, who worked with landlords and child health advocates and who championed the bill, said it represents a compromise that takes into account the concerns of property owners, according to news reports in Philadelphia. Mayor Michael Nutter was expected to sign the measure, those reports said.
Prior to approval by the city council, the proposal was amended to apply only to landlords who rent to families with children age six and under. The change made the bill less onerous to property owners, according to the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia; see Compromise in City Lead Hazard Fight.
Public-health advocates also expressed support for the compromise plan, although they had campaigned for more sweeping legislation that would apply to all rental properties.
Considerable debate surrounding the measure, including council member Reynolds Brown’s longtime campaign for passage of a bill addressing lead-paint hazards, is described in a Lead Paint Bill Ignites Debate.
The bill as approved requires owners of rental property to certify that such properties have been tested and found to be free of lead hazards from paint. The measure applies only to housing where children age 6 and under reside.
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