Ch. 287                                    LAWS OF MARYLAND

                           CHAPTER 287

(House Bill 1376)

AN ACT concerning

Residential Lead Paint Abatement Program - Loans

FOR the purpose of authorizing the Department of Economic and
Community Development to forgive, wholly or partly, deferred
residential" lead paint abatement loans; and providing for
the termination of a certain provision of this Act.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 41 - Governor - Executive and Administrative

Departments
Section ll-702(g)                                                                                 

Annotated Code, of Maryland                                                 

(1986 Replacement Volume)

Preamble

WHEREAS, The purpose of the Residential Lead Paint Abatement
Program is to facilitate the elimination of hazardous conditions
caused by lead paint in dwellings occupied by families of limited
income; and

WHEREAS, The program is the least successful housing program
within the Governor's 1986 Housing Initiative; and

WHEREAS, The lack of success of the program relates to (1)
the absence of reliable methods for making properties lead safe,
(2) a limited number of contractors who are willing to undertake
lead abatement projects because of the high initial costs for
equipment and the potential hazards to workers and (3) the
reticence of property owners to incur large debts to under take
abatement projects which may not be successful because of the
aforementioned points; and

WHEREAS, Considering the social nature of the problem and
all of the difficulties associated with the program, there is a
justifiable basis for forgiving indebtedness to make undertaking
of lead abatement more palatible to property owners; now,
therefore,                                                                                                         

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

- 1156 -