1. (a) Certification requirements. A person must be certified by the department as a lead risk assessor to engage in lead risk assessment or lead hazard screens of target housing and child-occupied facilities. Such certification is valid for a period of three years from the date the certification application is approved.

2. (b) Specific requirements.

   1. (1) Applicants for certification as lead risk assessors are required to:

      1. (A) successfully complete a lead inspector and a lead risk assessor training course, and receive course completion certificates from a department-accredited training program provider;
      2. (B) pass the state certification examination for lead risk assessors; and

      3. (C) meet or exceed the following additional experience and/or education requirements:

         1. (i) a bachelor's degree and one year of experience in a related field (e.g., lead, asbestos, public health, environmental remediation work, or building construction trades); or
         2. (ii) an associate's degree and two years of experience in a related field (e.g., lead, asbestos, public health, environmental remediation work, or building construction trades); or
         3. (iii) a high school diploma (or equivalent), plus at least three years of experience in a related field (e.g., lead, asbestos, public health, environmental remediation work, or building construction trades); or
         4. (iv) certification as an industrial hygienist, a professional engineer, a public health nurse, a professional registered sanitarian, a certified safety professional, a registered architect, or an environmental scientist.
   2. (2) Individuals who have made application for certification to the department prior to June 1, 1998, and are subsequently granted certification by the department, and who maintain continuous certification from that date, are not subject to the examination requirement of paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection.

3. (c) State certification examination.

   1. (1) In order to take the certification examination for risk assessors, an individual must first successfully complete lead inspector and lead risk assessor courses and receive course completion certificates from a department-accredited training provider.
   2. (2) The individual shall then register for the examination on a department-issued form prior to the examination date.
   3. (3) A score of at least 70% correct must be achieved to pass the examination.
   4. (4) An individual may take the certification examination no more than three times within six months of receiving a course completion certificate.
   5. (5) If an individual does not pass the certification examination within six months of receiving course completion certificates, the individual must retake lead inspector and lead risk assessor courses from a department-accredited training provider and receive course completion certificates prior to retaking the certification examination.
   6. (6) An examination fee of $50 for the initial examination and a fee of $50 for each re-examination shall be submitted to the department with the department-issued registration form. The required fee shall be received by the department in the form of a cashier's check or money order made payable to the Texas Department of Health. The required fee may not be paid at the examination site, but must be received by the department with the examination registration form prior to the examination date.
4. (d) Any individual can fulfill the requirements of subsection (b)(1)(A) of this section by showing proof of the successful completion, between October 1, 1990, and August 31, 1996, of a lead inspector training course and a lead risk assessor training course which utilized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) model course curriculum. Individuals shall have until June 1, 1998, to make application based upon this grandfathering provision. After that date, all individuals seeking certification shall complete the required courses and receive course completion certificates from a department-accredited training provider.

5. (e) Responsibilities. The responsibilities of the certified lead risk assessor include the following:

   1. (1) conduct a risk assessment and other lead hazard assessment activities (such as screening a residence for lead hazard) in target housing and child-occupied facilities;
   2. (2) complete a written risk assessment report;
   3. (3) interpret the results of assessments;
   4. (4) identify hazard control strategies to reduce or eliminate lead exposures;
   5. (5) conduct post-abatement soil and dust clearance sampling and evaluate the results; and
   6. (6) perform the same duties of a certified lead inspector as specified in §295.206(e) of this title (relating to Lead Inspector: Certification Requirements).
6. (f) Application for certification renewal. To become re-certified, the risk assessor must successfully complete lead inspector and lead risk assessor refresher training courses from a department-accredited training program provider no sooner than 180 days prior to the risk assessor's certification expiration date and follow the procedures contained in §295.205 of this title (relating to Certification: Applications, Denials and Renewals).
7. (g) Fees. The annual fee for lead risk assessor certification shall be $300. The fee must accompany the certification or renewal application the first year, and accompany the annual fee payment coupon issued by the department for years two and three. In order to retain certification, all annual fees must be paid as required.

Source Note:The provisions of this §295.207 adopted to be effective February 19, 1996, 21 TexReg 968; amended to be effective May 10, 1998, 23 TexReg 4280.