Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Pa. House votes to update infant, toddler, pregnancy lead testing standards

Pa. House votes to update infant, toddler, pregnancy lead testing standards

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    June 8, 2026

HARRISBURG, June 8 – State Rep. Jose Giral today announced his bill that would mandate insurance-covered blood lead tests for pregnant women and children at 12 and 24 months of age passed the Pa. House with bipartisan support.

This is a change from existing law, which merely recommends lead testing in these groups unless they are deemed high risk. Current law does not require health insurance plans to help cover the costs.

“Lead poisoning is a significant health risk for children and for pregnant mothers,” said Giral. “We do a disservice to these vulnerable groups if we only recommend a course of action. This bill would require healthcare practitioners to perform blood lead testing at least once during a woman’s pregnancy, and twice before a child’s second birthday, unless there is express written refusal by the woman or the child’s parent.”

According to Giral, lead poisoning in children can lead to developmental delays, seizures and nervous system damage. During pregnancy, lead poisoning raises the risk of miscarriage and can expose the developing baby to lead, leading to premature birth, underdeveloped organs, low birth weight, and future learning and developmental issues.

Early blood lead level testing helps identify children who have already been exposed to lead and those who may be living in environments where lead is present. Once lead exposure is known, families can take steps to mitigate the exposure, before they lead to serious health issues. Many people show no visible signs or symptoms of lead exposure before reaching the point of lead poisoning.

“I want people to understand that the only way to learn about blood lead levels early enough to avoid serious problems, is to have a blood lead test. These are simple, noninvasive blood tests that should be available to everyone,” said Giral. “By requiring physicians to perform the test and by requiring health insurance companies to cover the costs as they would other blood tests, we’re making it easier and less expensive for families to take charge of their health.”

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.