Wisconsin Senate passes bill to help pay for lead pipe replacement costs

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) – The Wisconsin State Legislature has passed a bill that will help homeowners looking to replace service lines.

The state Senate passed the bill on a vote to allow state tax dollars to pay 50% of the cost to replace lead lines running from the house to the street.

The measure had already passed both the state Senate and Assembly in some form. The main disagreements were on what portion of the replacements the state should pay for.

Months ago, the Senate passed a bill that would call for the government to pay for two-thirds of the cost, but the Assembly changed that to half, which is where it ended up.

State Senator Lena Taylor says the state government has a responsibility to help.

"Because we mandated that the laterals be put in, and even after we no longer mandated, we did not prohibit the laterals from being put in after we had information knowing that lead was creating major problems across the U.S. and after we learned that lead was harmful,” said State Sen. Lena Taylor (D – Milwaukee).

The bill now goes to Governor Scott Walker’s desk for final approval.