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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 3552

By: Sheffield

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Concerns have been raised regarding the termination of the fluoridation of public water without the knowledge of consumers or community decision-makers. It has been suggested that permanently terminating fluoridation levels of a public water supply system is a matter of public health that warrants disclosure and transparency. C.S.H.B. 3552 seeks to address this issue by providing certain notice requirements regarding such a termination in fluoridation.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 3552 amends the Health and Safety Code to prohibit an owner, agent, manager, operator, or other person in charge of a public water supply system that furnishes for public or private use drinking water containing added fluoride from permanently terminating the fluoridation of the water unless the owner, agent, manager, operator, or person provides written notice to the customers of the system and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) of the termination at least 60 days before the termination.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2019.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 3552 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

The substitute does not include a prohibition against a person in charge of an applicable public water supply system permanently reducing the amount of fluoride in the water before providing written notice of the reduction to the system's customers and TCEQ.