Bill > SB282

This bill creates a new mechanism for voters to decide whether public water systems should continue fluoridating their water supply. Specifically, the bill allows customers of a public water system serving 5,000 or more people to trigger an election by either submitting a petition signed by at least 5% of voters in the county or through a majority vote of the county quorum court. The election would be held during the next general election, with voters choosing "for" or "against" water fluoridation, and subsequent elections cannot be held more frequently than every four years. If a majority of voters in the majority of counties served by a public water system vote against fluoridation, the water system must stop adding fluoride within 30 days of the election results. The bill also amends existing state law to allow water system boards to prohibit fluoridation and ensures that voter election results take precedence over individual water system board decisions. This legislation provides local communities with a direct democratic process to determine whether fluoride should be added to their public water systems, giving residents more control over their water treatment.

Government Affairs

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=sb282&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R