SR47

WHEREAS, many residents in the State do not have dental care insurance; and

WHEREAS, the State also received a failing grade in three recent oral health report cards published by the Pew Center on the States, a division of the Pew Charitable Trusts; and

WHEREAS, increasing the concentration of fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, in the public water supply to an optimal level benefits all people who drink therefrom, promoting good oral health to prevent or even reverse tooth decay; and

WHEREAS, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, water fluoridation is both safe and the most cost-effective way of preventing tooth decay; and

WHEREAS, presently, the State's public water systems have no added fluoride, with the exception of military bases; and

WHEREAS, water fluoridation may address ongoing oral health issues across the State by providing communities with enough fluoride in local water systems to prevent tooth decay; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Director of Health is requested to convene a Water Fluoridation Working Group to collaborate on determining the best practices for, and addressing obstacles to fluoridating the State's drinking water; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Water Fluoridation Working Group is requested to consist of the following members:

(1) The Director of Health, or the Director's designee, who shall serve as Chairperson of the Working Group;

(2) A representative from the Board of Water Supply of the City and County of Honolulu;

(3) A representative from the Department of Water of the county of Kauai;

(4) A representative from the Department of Water Supply of the county of Maui; and

(5) A representative from the Department of Water Supply of the county of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Water Fluoridation Working Group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Water Fluoridation Working Group is requested to dissolve on June 30, 2026; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Manager and Chief Engineer of the Board of Water Supply of the City and County of Honolulu, Director of the Department of Water Supply of the County of Maui, Manager-Chief Engineer of the Department of Water Supply of the County of Hawaii, and Manager and Chief Engineer of the Department of Water of the County of Kauai.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

DOH; Water Fluoridation; Counties; Public Water Supply; Working Group; Report

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	47
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII