This section defines terms used in the chapter, including child care, child care facility, health authority, health professional, lead, reference level, lead poisoning, local health department, physician, public health district, regional director, child-occupied facility, lead hazard, certified lead risk assessor, and environmental lead investigation.
Sec. 88.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Child care" includes a school, preschool, kindergarten, nursery school, or other similar activity that provides care or instruction for young children. (2) "Child care facility" means a public place or a residence in which a person furnishes child care. (3) "Health authority" means a physician appointed as such under Chapter 121. (4) "Health professional" means an individual whose: (A) vocation or profession is directly or indirectly related to the maintenance of health in another individual; and (B) duties require a specified amount of formal education and may require a special examination, certificate or license, or membership in a regional or national association. (5) "Lead" includes metallic lead and materials containing metallic lead with a potential for release in sufficient concentrations to pose a threat to public health. (6) "Reference level" means the presence of blood lead concentrations suspected to be associated with mental and physical disorders due to absorption, ingestion, or inhalation of lead as specified in the most recent reference value issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Service. (7) "Lead poisoning" means the presence of a confirmed venous blood level established by department rule in the range specified for medical evaluation and possible pharmacologic treatment in the most recent criteria issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Service. (8) "Local health department" means a department created under Chapter 121. (9) "Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine by the Texas Medical Board. (10) "Public health district" means a district created under Chapter 121. (11) "Regional director" means a physician appointed under Section 121.007 as the chief administrative officer of a public health region as designated under Chapter 121. (12) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1, Sec. 3.1639(34), eff. April 2, 2015. (13) "Child-occupied facility" means a building or part of a building, including a day-care center, preschool, or kindergarten classroom, that is visited regularly by the same child, six years of age or younger, at least two days in any calendar week if the visits are for at least: (A) three hours each day; and (B) 60 hours each year. (14) "Lead hazard" means an item, surface coating, or environmental media that contains or is contaminated with lead and, when ingested or inhaled, may cause exposures that contribute to blood lead levels in children, including: (A) an accessible painted surface or coating; (B) an article for residential or consumer use; (C) accessible soil and dust, including attic dust; and (D) food, water, or remedies. (15) "Certified lead risk assessor" means a person who has been certified by the department to conduct lead risk assessments, inspections, and lead-hazard screens, as defined by department rule. (16) "Environmental lead investigation" means an investigation performed by a certified lead risk assessor of the home environment of, or other premises frequented by, a child who has a confirmed blood lead level warranting such an investigation, under the most recent criteria issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Service. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 965, Sec. 52, eff. Jan. 1, 1996. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 740, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 398 (S.B. 814), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0300, eff. April 2, 2015. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1639(34), eff. April 2, 2015.