Two Bronx senators are proposing separate bills that bear similarities towards improving lead level testing in children, in light of the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) lead poisoning crisis.

State Senator Luis Sepulveda recently introduced a bill that seeks to raise the maximum testing age from 6 to 10 years old and lower the microgram threshold to match the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) danger level of five micrograms.

In New York State, it takes ten micrograms of lead found in a child’s blood to trigger action.

Under current state law, children under the age of two are guaranteed two insurance-covered annual physical screenings of lead that include blood testing. After the age of two, blood testing is replaced with verbal annual check-ups for children up until age six. Blood testing is required between ages two and six only if the child is found to be at risk.

But Sepulveda’s senate colleague, Gustavo Rivera, looks to increase the age limit from 6 to 18 years old under his bill dubbed Dakota’s Law. He also seeks to lower the threshold to five micrograms.

The bill is named after Dakota Jones, a child who contracted lead poisoning while living in NYCHA Fort Independence Housing and suffers from developmental challenges as a result. She is the daughter of Tiesha Jones, president of the Bailey Houses.

“I’m really proud of the fact that most of the legislation, including pieces that I’ve passed or introduced, have been a result of community-related issues,” said Rivera. “[It’s] a real comprehensive bill that came directly from [Dakota’s] situation.”

According to statistics from New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), 299,000 children in New York City under the age of 6 had their blood lead levels tested in 2016 and 4,928 had results above five micrograms, amounting to 16.5 percent.

In the Bronx, 884 had levels above five micrograms out of a total 59,000 who were tested, 15 percent, just below the city average. At ten micrograms or above, that number fizzles down to 162 and 2.7 percent.

In Fordham-Bronx Park, 11,900 children were tested and 209 showed results above the accepted limit of five micrograms. The 17.5 percentage is the highest in the Bronx with a 2.5 percentage increase above the borough’s average.

In addition to major changes to age and accepted blood lead levels, both senators are seeking to make operational improvements.

Sepulveda wants to add environmental evaluations and infant wellness visits to the state’s Home Visiting Program, which provides support and guidance to pregnant and parenting families.

His spokesperson noted key distinctions that Sepulveda’s bill addresses. “Our bill addresses the following that the Rivera bill does not touch on. [It] requires blood testing during annual physical, expands testing to 10 years of age and requires follow-up by the New York State home visiting programs.”

Meantime, Rivera wants to increase oversight in the testing process, requiring physicians to report elevated blood lead levels to a state or local health department. Healthcare providers are currently mandated by the city to make reports within 24 hours to DOHMH. He also explained that his bill would ensure that private insurance and Medicaid would cover the cost of testing.

Both bills will go to the Senate Health Committee in January or February, where further determinations will be made.test