A top federal toxicologist is visiting Rhode Island to talk about lead poisoning prevention and reforming the nation's chemical laws.

Linda Birnbaum is the head of the National Institute for Environment Health Services and the National Toxicology Program.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed says he invited Birnbaum to visit Providence on Monday to meet with community and state leaders.

Birnbaum is also visiting Brown University researchers who are looking at ways to improve health outcomes for Rhode Islanders exposed to environmental toxins.

The visit comes as Congress prepares to update a 40-year-old chemical safety law.

A bipartisan agreement reached Friday would set new safety standards for dangerous chemicals that have gone unregulated for decades.