Final answer:
Mandatory lead-based paint disclosures under the North Carolina Residential Rental Agreements Act were enacted with the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 and took effect on December 6, 1996.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of the North Carolina Residential Rental Agreements Act, disclosures regarding lead-based paint became mandatory with the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, which came into effect on December 6, 1996. This federal law applies to rental agreements for properties built before 1978, the year when the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned lead in residential paint. Landlords are required to provide tenants with available records and reports about lead-based paint and any associated hazards in the property, as well as a federally approved pamphlet about lead poisoning prevention.
Considering the health risks associated with lead-based paint, as indicated by the CDC in 2014 that millions of homes still contain deteriorating lead-based paint, the disclosure requirement is a critical step for tenant safety. For example, when Vanessa and Paul discovered their pre-1978 home had lead paint that had deteriorated, this would have been subject to disclosure under the law, designed to prevent lead exposure in children like their son Lucas.