Recent Acts of Congress concerning the prevention of lead poisoning require the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to issue new guidelines for reducing the hazards of lead-based paints in older residential buildings. This article anticipates the forthcoming guidelines which will stress risk assessment by someone trained for the task. Then, if lead-based paint is present, recording its location and condition should be followed by dust wipe tests to document areas of active hazard. These areas require measures to mitigate or eliminate the danger. Safety and health of the workers involved as well as of occupants affect the recommended procedures. The author briefly describes and charts measures appropriate for historic buldings in which total removal might seriously compromise historic integrity. -- AATA