Four members of the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted for repealing the mandate, while four voted to keep fluoride in place.
Senate Bill 2 would remove a section of state statute that currently states: “The company, corporation, municipality, county, government agency, or other entity that owns or controls a water system shall control the quantity of fluoride in the water so as to maintain a fluoride content established by the Department of Health.”
Arkansas passed its water fluoridation mandate in 2011, and is one of the roughly dozen states to have a fluoride mandate.
Committee members heard about two hours of testimony from both supporters and detractors of the repeal, the report said.
The bill was introduced in November.