Get Involved – Upcoming Lead-Free NJ Meetings
- January 12, Ad-hoc Subcommittee: Engaging the Healthcare Sector with Lead in Drinking Water Prevention
- January TBD, Water Advocacy Committee
- January 28, LRAP Agency Peer Discussion
- February 18, Housing Committee
Contact cbolinger@njfuture.org to join a committee or sign-up here. |
NJF Testifies Tomorrow 1/7: $94 MILLION for Schools to Fix Lead in Drinking Water has been Unspent Since 2019
Why hasn’t NJ DOE gotten these funds to schools? Lead-Free NJ sent three advocacy letters to NJ DOE in 2025 (December | September | July)
Lead-Free NJ member New Jersey Future will testify at the January 7, 9 a.m. New Jersey State Board of Education monthly public business meeting.
You can attend in-person in the First Floor Conference Room at the New Jersey Department of Education, 100 Riverview Plaza, Trenton, NJ, or stream online here: https://www.youtube.com/@newjerseydepartmentofeduca6565/streams
Although registration for in-person testimony has closed, you can email written comments to stateboardoffice@doe.nj.gov. |
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Lead Exposure Prevention Top Priorities for Gubernatorial Transition
Congratulations to Lead-Free NJ members appointed to Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill's Transition Action Team. The Lead-Free NJ Advocacy Committee has identified top lead exposure prevention priorities for the gubernatorial transition. |
HUD Awards Over $13.7 Million to NJ for Lead Hazard Reduction Grants
In December 2025, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced awards under the Fiscal Year 2025 Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program. For New Jersey, awards include:
- NJ Department of Community Affairs, $4.4 million, Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control (LBPHC) grants
- City of Plainfield, $5 million, Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control (LBPHC) grants
- City of Trenton, $4,398,281, Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration (LHRD) grants
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Lead-Free NJ Collaborative Updates
- The 2026 LFNJ Strategic Work Plan has been adopted & updates to the LFNJ Operating Procedures have been adopted.
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Summary of leadership changes: Rashan Prailow will step down as Steering Committee Co-Chair and will assume a Steering Committee Member role, and Kelvin Boddy will assume the role of Steering Committee Co-Chair. Shereyl Snider will be stepping into the Advocacy Committee Co-Chair role. Bert Cooper will be stepping down as Housing Co-Chair and Steering Committee member, and Catherine Lee will assume this position. Alana Vega, FFNJ, will be stepping down from the Steering Committee Funder role, and this position is open for nominations. We thank all current and former chairs for their continued support of LFNJ.
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There are three open steering committee roles: funder, lived experience, and mobilization.
- Lead-Free NJ sent an advocacy letter to NJ DCA in December advocating for LRAP program changes to support the spenddown of ARPA LRAP funds.
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State Policy Updates
- Legislation requiring health care professionals to perform lead screening on pregnant persons under certain circumstances PASSED the NJ legislature. Now, Governor Murphy must sign the bill before his term ends. Thank you to LFNJ member Isles for championing this bill! A4848/S3616
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New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announces the expansion of its universal prenatal and newborn screening for lead and mercury program into Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, with the goal of increasing access and improving health outcomes for pregnant people and newborns. Keep reading.
- Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill announced that Jacquelyn A. Suárez Will continue as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs.
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NEW REPORT - Early Trends in Lead Service Line Inventories: Reflections from New Jersey
This report examined quantitative data on lead service line (LSL) replacements and contextualized it through case studies of five New Jersey water systems. Read the report here.
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Lead-Free NJ Member Spotlight |
Paterson Alliance Appoints Shanikwa Lemon-Watson as New Executive Director
Congratulations to Shanikwa Lemon, and our Lead-Free NJ community hub in Paterson, Paterson Alliance! Read the announcement here. |
Free Rides for Expecting and New Mothers in Trenton
Isles' GOTrenton! rideshare service is partnering with the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (NJMIHIA) to provide free, unlimited transportation for pregnant and postpartum women, community health workers, doulas, and others in the perinatal workforce throughout Trenton. Keep reading. Keep reading. |
Rutgers CEED Community Pilot Project Grants
Applications for the Community Partnership pilot projects are due by February 1, 2026. Watch the informational webinar here, passcode: aW0y#Gs2 |
South Jersey Childhood Lead Prevention Project ECHO
Enrollment is now open for pediatricians/physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals located in the seven southern New Jersey counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem. Register here. |
Events
- EPA Lead(Pb) Overview and Data Mapping, January 21, 3-4pm, Register
- Maternal Health Awareness Day Convening, January 23, 9:30am-2:30pm, Register
- New Jersey School Nurses at the Heart of Student Success, March 28, Register
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Lead in the News
Paint
Water
Products
International
Other
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