The proposed bill establishes a formal election procedure for determining the fluoridation of public water systems in Arkansas by introducing "Subchapter 9 - Fluoridation Election" to the Arkansas Code Title 14, Chapter 116. It allows for a fluoridation election to be initiated through a petition signed by at least 38% of registered voters from the public water system, which must be filed with the county clerk at least 120 days before the election. The bill outlines the responsibilities of election officials, mandates the hiring and training of paid canvassers, and includes provisions to prevent fraudulent activities during the petition process, ensuring the integrity of the election.

Additionally, the bill requires that each petition part includes an affidavit from the canvasser confirming their residence and the validity of the signatures collected, with the stipulation that no petition part can contain signatures from more than one county. It details the conduct of elections regarding water fluoridation, including timing, ballot format, and responsibilities of election commissioners. If a majority of voters choose to prohibit fluoridation, the public water system must cease fluoridation within 30 days of the election results. The bill also clarifies existing law regarding the maintenance of fluoride levels by water system entities unless prohibited by an election.

Statutes affected:
SB 613: 14-116-901, 14-116-913, 14-116-914, 20-7-136(b)