"Lawmakers Call for Lead Testing in Every New Jersey School"

"All schools in New Jersey would have to immediately test drinking water for lead contamination under a bill state lawmakers proposed on Monday, weeks after elevated lead levels in Newark schools prompted officials to shut off sinks and drinking fountains.

The lawmakers outlined a measure that would provide more than $20 million for both testing and water filters. Once New Jersey understands the scope of the problem, the lawmakers said they would address the larger and far more expensive challenge of helping schools to replace old pipes and fixtures that often cause of contamination.

The bill was introduced after testing showed in elevated lead levels in half the school buildings in Newark, the state's largest district."

Ben Finley reports for the Associated Press March 28, 2016.