(a) The Department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall establish and administer a grant program to provide grants to local school systems to assist with the costs associated with implementing remedial measures to: (1) Address any findings of elevated levels of lead in drinking water outlets in school buildings; (2) Install drinking water outlets in school buildings that do not have functioning drinking water outlets due to the presence of lead; or (3) Repair, reconfigure, or replace the outlet plumbing or premises plumbing contributing to the presence of lead in drinking water. (b) The Department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall: (1) Establish application procedures for the grant program; (2) Require each application to include a plan for implementing remedial measures, including: (i) Whether the location of the lead affecting the drinking water outlet is in the service line, premises plumbing, outlet plumbing, or outlet; and (ii) Costs associated with the plan; (3) Award grants on a competitive basis and based on the availability of funding to each local school system that: (i) Applies for a grant in accordance with this section; and (ii) Demonstrates that the local school system has completed comprehensive testing for the presence of lead in drinking water outlets in school buildings in accordance with § 6-1502 of this subtitle; and (4) Consistent with any applicable federal law or requirement, prioritize applications based on factors determined by the Department, including: (i) The applicant's level of financial need; (ii) The percentage of drinking water outlets that require remediation; and (iii) The cost-effectiveness of the proposed remedial measures, with preference given to proposals for remedial measures that require minimal upkeep, including the installation of water filling stations. (c) (1) If the Department or the State Department of Education receives any federal funding for addressing the presence of lead in drinking water outlets in school buildings, the funding shall be made available to award grants in accordance with this section. (2) In addition to any funding provided under paragraph (1) of this subsection, funding for the grant program consists of: (i) Money appropriated in the State budget for the grant program; and (ii) Any additional money made available to the grant program from any public or private source. (d) The Department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, may adopt regulations to implement the requirements of this section.
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