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Bill Summary · HB 1124

Summary of HB 1124 (Indiana, 2026 Session)

Title: Testing drinking water for lead in school buildings

Effective Date: July 1, 2026

Jurisdiction: Indiana

Introduced: HB 1124, 2026 Regular Session
- Primary authors: Rep. Jackson C. (author), Rep. Carolyn Jackson (co-sponsor), Rep. Mike Aylesworth (co-sponsor)
- Committee: Public Health

1) Purpose and Intent

  • To ensure drinking water in Indiana school buildings is tested for lead and remediated as needed.
  • To establish a schedule and compliance framework for testing, and to impose penalties on school leadership for failure to test within the specified timeframe.

2) Key Provisions and Changes

Testing Requirements

  • Beginning July 1, 2026, every person or entity with authority over a school building must:
    • Test the drinking water in that building for lead.
    • Complete testing by specific deadlines tied to the school’s name:
    • A–H: by June 30, 2027
    • I–P: by June 30, 2028
    • Q–Z: by June 30, 2029
  • The testing must be conducted in accordance with the EPA’s most recent version of the 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Facilities.
  • If a drinking water sample shows lead at or above the action level (15 ppb or 0.015 mg/L, consistent with 40 CFR 141.80 as of Jan 1, 2020), the responsible party must take remediation steps to reduce lead levels to below 15 ppb.
  • For post-2022 testing, Lake County schools must be tested at least once every two calendar years to determine lead presence at or above the action level.
  • If testing indicates lead at or above the action level, the responsible party must follow:
    • Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) guidelines, and
    • National primary drinking water regulations for lead and copper (40 CFR 141 and 142).

Use of Guidance and Grants

  • Testing must follow the EPA’s 3Ts guidance.
  • The responsible entity must seek available state and federal grants for lead sampling or testing, including funds from the IFA’s lead sampling program for schools and child care facilities.

Penalties

  • The Indiana Department of Health (IDH) is empowered to impose a civil penalty on the superintendent of a school corporation or the equivalent for a charter school if a school building’s drinking water is not tested within the required timeframe.
  • Penalty amount: 10% of the superintendent’s or equivalent’s annual salary for the year in which the failure occurred.

Additional Provisions

  • If lead is detected above the action level, remediation must align with both IFA guidelines and federal drinking water standards for lead and copper.
  • The bill imposes a broader funding and workload impact on state agencies (IFA, IDEM) to assist with testing and remediation.
  • The bill requires the search for and use of available funding to support testing and remediation efforts.

3) Who and What Is Affected

  • Affected Parties:
    • School corporations and charter schools (superintendents or equivalents) in Indiana.
    • School buildings under the authority of districts or charter operators.
  • State Agencies:
    • Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) – guidance and potential grant administration.
    • Indiana Department of Health (IDH) – civil penalties enforcement.
    • Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) – collaboration on testing and remediation (per fiscal note).
  • Financial/Implementation Impact:
    • Increased workload and expenditures for IFA and IDEM to support testing and compliance.
    • Potential local expenditures for school districts to conduct testing and remediation.
    • Estimated costs to implement lead testing broadly: roughly $2.95 million in FY2027, $3.26 million in FY2028, and $2.43 million in FY2029 (based on 2017–2018 lead sampling program costs per fixture), with federal funding previously received for related programs.

4) Procedural and Timeline Details

  • Effective Date: July 1, 2026.
  • Testing Deadlines (assigned by school name):
    • A–H: June 30, 2027
    • I–P: June 30, 2028
    • Q–Z: June 30, 2029
  • Lake County-specific requirement: testing at least once every two calendar years post-2022.
  • Penalty Trigger: failure to test within the specified timeframe triggers a civil penalty.

5) Practical Implications

  • More rigorous and uniform lead testing across Indiana schools.
  • Clear deadlines create a phased rollout to manage costs and logistical challenges.
  • Potential significant remediation work for schools with elevated lead levels.
  • Emphasis on pursuing grant funding to offset costs.
  • Compliance and enforcement hinge on IDH’s ability to impose penalties and on coordination with IFA and IDEM.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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