Bill to give tax credit for lead removal

WASHINGTON, June 10 (UPI) -- A bill was introduced Tuesday in the U.S. Senate providing tax credits for owners of homes built before 1978 who pay for testing and removal of lead paint.

Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, said his Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act of 2003 would protect children from lead poisoning by encouraging property owners to test for and remove lead-based paint.

DeWine said lead poisoning is preventable and is often a serious and undetected threat to the healthy development of children. He said about 300,000 children are affected annually by such poisoning.

The bill would provide owners a maximum tax credit of 50 percent of the cost of abatement, not to exceed $1,500 per dwelling unit.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is co-sponsoring the bill.