Certain questions can linger in the bureaucratic ether, unanswered, for some time without real problem. These are not among them:

Why are there spikes in lead levels detected in some Hawaii children during some years? Does this represent a passing issue or a persistent health threat?

The state Department of Health has been studying this topic for some time and now needs an assist from lawmakers, and the continuing drive to pursue it, in order to find an answer. The lawmakers themselves seem to need a push in the right direction.

The raw figures are startling, gathered by the DOH Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office. About 1,800 infants and toddlers have tested positive for high lead levels in their bloodstream between 2011 and 2015.

Statewide, that’s about 3 percent of those screened, a higher rate than the 2.5 percent national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The county averages hit 4.9 percent on Kauai and 5.1 percent on Hawaii island.

CDC funds supporting monitoring dried up in 2003, essentially ending data collection, prevention and education, until the scandal of lead poisoning in Flint, Mich., put the issue back in national headlines.

At nearly its halfway mark, Hawaii’s Legislature so far has passed on the opportunity to consider either of two bills that would have allotted $1 million to the Health Department for “lead poisoning prevention activities.” Neither bill received a hearing.

Rep. Della Au Belatti proposed one of the measures, House Bill 249, but then never scheduled a hearing for it in the Health Committee, which she chairs.

Belatti said she was hoping that the Senate version, Senate Bill 113, would get a hearing in the Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health Committee and move on. The panel is chaired by Sen. Roz Baker, who didn’t return a call for comment on her reasons.

As helpful as a hearing would have been, the lack of one shouldn’t mean the issue itself is dead for the session. Belatti said funding could be added for the lead-poison project in the budget bill’s allocation for the Health Department. It’s up to the agency, though, to push for it, she said.

While the department ought to provide feedback to help define its priorities and spending plan, lawmakers ought to see the importance of this provision regardless.

Other than the more recent testing of young children, the basic investigation into the problem has been stalled for more than a decade. In 2006, the department published “Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Guidelines.”

It summarized the key concerns about the health impact of lead poisoning. It can cause seizures, cerebral swelling, mental retardation and behavioral disorders, and can be fatal, and is especially dangerous to children.

Lead-infused paint has been prohibited for decades, but in Hawaii as in other states, it still exists in older, poorer communities. According to the report, lead has been detected in catchment water systems on Hawaii island and Maui and in other locations.

But deeper inquiry to identify any persistent sources is critical. This is necessary to ensure that the overarching goal — removing or minimizing these sources in the environment — can be achieved.

There have been spikes in Hawaii’s lead poisoning rate that have exceeded even those dangerous levels found in Flint. Rates were erratic over time and fell sharply, too.

But while it may be too soon to panic, it’s high time Hawaii get an adequate understanding of the ongoing risks.

Starting down this road is likely to require more than the $1 million currently proposed, as further study is always needed. But this is a public health concern deserving of the state’s attention and care.