THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY DePASQUALE, SANTONI, BARRAR, BRENNAN, REICHLEY, BURNS, JOSEPHS, HALUSKA, KOTIK, K. SMITH, YOUNGBLOOD, D. COSTA, BRIGGS, GIBBONS, W. KELLER, FRANKEL AND MATZIE, APRIL 29, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, APRIL 29, 2009  

AN ACT

Providing for fluoridation of public water.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Dental Health

Act.

Section 2.  Purpose.

Because community water fluoridation is lauded by the Centers

for Disease Control as one of the ten most significant public

health achievements of the 20th century, it is the purpose of

this act to provide this preventive measure that will reduce

dental disease and contain health care costs. This act will

benefit all Pennsylvanians, especially those who do not have

regular dental care. This act will also help to reduce the

52,000,000 hours lost by children who miss school due to

toothaches and other oral health complications.

Section 3.  Fluoride content of water.

Whenever the fluoride content of water served by public water

suppliers to 500 domestic water connections or more is less than

0.7 milligrams per liter of fluoride, the person, association,

firm, corporation, authority or municipality having jurisdiction

over the supply shall add a measured amount of fluoride to the

water so as to maintain a fluoride content of between 0.7

milligrams per liter and 1.2 milligrams per liter, in accordance

with regulations adopted by the Department of Environmental

Protection in consultation with the Department of Health, and at

a level recommended by the United States Public Health Service

and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Department of

Environmental Protection shall enforce this act commencing one

year after the effective date of this act.

Section 4.  Cost recovery.

A public water supplier whose rates for service are

established by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission may

file tariffs establishing a sliding scale of rates or other

method for the automatic adjustment of the rates of the public

water supplier which provides for the recovery of all costs

incurred in compliance with or resulting from the requirements

of this act, including operating expenses and a return on and

return of capital investment.

Section 5.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 18 months.