Kildee Leads Michigan Congressional Delegation in Effort to Reauthorize Flint Registry

Statement

Congressman Dan Kildee, Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus, along with U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters and Congressman John Moolenaar, today introduced new bipartisan legislation to fund the Flint Registry for the next 10 years.

The Flint Registry Reauthorization Act would provide $50 million for Flint's lead exposure registry over the next decade. Created and funded by Congress in 2016, the Flint Registry is a community-based effort to identify individuals exposed to lead during the Flint water crisis and improve their health and development through connections to critical health care and other resources. To date, the Flint Registry has voluntarily enrolled over 18,000 people and completed over 24,700 referrals to critical lead exposure-mitigating services like health care, nutrition, early education, lead elimination and more.

"The people in my hometown of Flint are still facing the effects of the water crisis. The Flint Registry continues to play a critical role in the city's recovery, connecting thousands of Flint residents to important health care, educational and nutritional services to minimize the impact of lead on their health," said Congressman Kildee. "It's important we continue to fund this program to ensure those impacted by this man-made crisis have access to critical resources."

Health experts warn that there is no safe level of exposure to lead; it can have lifelong impacts, including behavioral, endocrine, and cardiovascular conditions and learning difficulties and neurodevelopmental deficits. The consequences of lead exposure are serious and long-lasting, especially for children. The long-term support for the Flint Registry that this legislation will provide will help ensure that the Flint Registry can continue to connect families impacted by the water crisis with nutrition, education, and health care services for many years to come.

"The Flint Registry is connecting residents to the services they need to address the impact of lead on their health and is helping health providers monitor the health of these families. This important work should move forward so the families of Flint have the resources they need to continue recovering from this crisis," said Senator Stabenow.

"The Flint Registry is a proven success, having successfully connected countless families and residents impacted by the water crisis with vital support services," said Senator Peters. "This bill would reauthorize funding for the registry to ensure community members can continue to access critical health care, social services, and educational resources. The City of Flint has consistently demonstrated its unwavering spirit and resilience--and I'll keep fighting to help Flint rebuild back stronger."

"For four years, the Flint Registry has done important work to help families recover from the water crisis. The Registry connects residents with vital services and helps them receive the resources they need," said Congressman John Moolenaar, Michigan's senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. "The effects of lead poisoning can last for many years, and this program is making a positive difference."

"The Flint Registry continues to support Flint's long-term recovery from the water crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, while also sharing best practices with similarly impacted communities," said Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of MSU-Hurley Children's Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative. "I applaud Congressman Kildee, Senators Stabenow and Peters and Congressman Moolenaar for their leadership on this legislation. The Flint Registry Reauthorization Act will help ensure the Flint Registry can continue supporting the Flint community now and for many years to come."

"Michigan State University has been an active partner in the Flint area for more than a century," said President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. "Through our public health program located downtown, we've been very engaged in the Flint Registry and see the tremendous value the program has on the community. We urge Congress to continue funding for this critical effort."

"The Flint Registry has done so much for us during this water crisis," said Flint Registry participant Nakiya Wakes. "I'm so grateful to the Flint Registry for getting us connected to a neurologist and other services. Now my son receives special education that he was not getting before the Flint Registry."

"We were fighting for services and resources--the Flint Registry is always there to make those connections for us," said Flint Registry participant Maxine Onstott. "We signed up for the Flint Registry to access resources and find some help. My son was diagnosed autistic and referred to Neurodevelopmental Center of Excellence--that's really helped us getting him services in school and autism behavioral therapy."

The Flint Registry Reauthorization Act continues Congressman Kildee's work on protecting Flint families that have been impacted by the water crisis. In December 2016, Congress passed $170 million in federal aid, championed by Congressman Kildee and Senators Stabenow and Peters, along with Rep. Moolenaar, directed at helping Flint recover from the city's ongoing water crisis, including the resources for today's announced lead registry. President Obama signed the Flint aid package into law on December 16, 2016.

The bill is endorsed by the following organizations: United Way of Genesee County, Michigan, Climate Action Network, Michigan Health Information Network, SEIU Michigan, Mott Community College, United Steelworkers (USW), MI Air MI Health, New Paths, Inc., Levine Advisors, LLC.

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