Public Health Commissioner outlines five-bill package on fluoride, hospital diversion reporting, drinking water, statute revisions and physician recruitment

Commissioner Manisha Jutani told the Public Health Committee that the Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking five related statutory changes aimed mainly at maintaining existing public health standards and adding limited new administrative authority.

Jutani told lawmakers the package includes: (1) a food safety and oral health bill that would place the current federal guidance on community water fluoridation into state statute — with no increase in the 0.7 milligrams per liter guidance — so the state can “maintain the status quo”; (2) a hospital emergency department diversion bill to allow DPH to be informed when hospitals go on diversion so the agency can provide visibility and coordinate responses; (3) a drinking water bill tied to moving regulatory responsibilities for some larger subsurface sewage systems to DPH and authority for interim policies and procedures if regulations are delayed; (4) various statutory revisions to allow internal data sharing (for example, maternal death information), grant acceptance for advisory groups such as…