HB458: establishing a committee to study the health and environmental effects of using industrial-grade silicofluorides and industrial-grade sodium fluoride for water fluoridation in New Hampshire.

HB 458 - AS INTRODUCED

2003 SESSION

03-0708

06/09

HOUSE BILL 458

AN ACT establishing a committee to study the health and environmental effects of using industrial-grade silicofluorides and industrial-grade sodium fluoride for water fluoridation in New Hampshire.

SPONSORS: Rep. P. Harrington, Hills 60; Rep. Souza, Hills 51; Rep. B. Richardson, Ches 26; Rep. Hagan, Hills 50; Rep. P. Allen, Ches 27; Sen. Prescott, Dist 23; Sen. O'Hearn, Dist 12

COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a committee to study the health and environmental effects of using industrial-grade silicofluorides and industrial-grade sodium fluoride for water fluoridation in New Hampshire.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0708

06/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

AN ACT establishing a committee to study the health and environmental effects of using industrial-grade silicofluorides and industrial-grade sodium fluoride for water fluoridation in New Hampshire.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Purpose. The general court finds that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Sanitation Foundation, and the United States Food and Drug Administration responded to recent questions from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science that they have no scientific, long-term health studies on the silicofluorides used in the drinking water of 90 percent of American fluoridating cities, including the New Hampshire cities of Concord, Dover, Manchester, Portsmouth, and Rochester. The general court also finds that, as stated by the CDC, industrial-grade silicofluorides and industrial-grade sodium fluoride used to fluoridate municipal water systems in New Hampshire may contain contaminants such as arsenic and lead and that the EPA has set safe health standards for both arsenic and lead at zero, based on scientific studies that show long-term ingestion of minute quantities of arsenic and lead are harmful to health.

2 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the health and environmental effects of using industrial-grade silicofluorides and industrial-grade sodium fluoride for water fluoridation in New Hampshire.

3 Membership and Compensation.

I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:

(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house.

(b) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

4 Duties.

I. The committee shall study all relevant information on health effects resulting from drinking water fluoridated with industrial-grade chemicals containing contaminants such as arsenic, lead, and silicofluorides and existing relevant information on the environmental impacts of the release of fluoridated water.

II. The committee shall solicit information and advice from individuals and organizations with expertise it deems relevant to assist the committee in the performance of its duties. The committee shall specifically consider information from individuals and organizations that have testified or presented critical information on the use of industrial-grade fluoridating agents.

5 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

6 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before December 1, 2003.

7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.