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Sponsor outlines multi-part public-health bill to ban additives, curb PFAS, restore local control of fluoridation
Summary
Rep. Bazzoli introduced House Bill 272, the PURE Life Act, proposing bans on several food additives and dyes, limits on PFAS, repeal of the state fluoridation mandate to restore local control, and a prohibition on cloud seeding; sponsors cited state precedents and LSC cost estimates.
Representative Bazzoli, sponsor of House Bill 272, told the House General Government Committee that the Protecting Utility and Resources for Enhanced Living, Improved Food and Environmental (PURE Life) Act would address public-health concerns by taking four specific steps: prohibit a targeted list of food additives and dyes, restrict certain PFAS uses, repeal the state-level fluoridation mandate to restore local decision-making, and ban cloud seeding.
"House Bill 272 is carefully crafted," Bazzoli said, describing the measure as bipartisan and grounded in policies enacted or proposed in other states. He listed additives the bill would target, including artificial food dyes such as Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2; other substances cited included titanium dioxide, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, BHT and BHA.
On PFAS, Bazzoli cited federal and academic health agencies in describing links between long-lived per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and serious health risks including certain cancers and developmental harms. He said the bill follows federal definitions to target the most harmful PFAS applications and was modeled in part on measures enacted elsewhere.
The bill’s third section would remove the state mandate to fluoridate public water systems, changing statutory language from "shall" to "may" and thereby returning the decision to local governments. Bazzoli said the Legislative Service Commission (LSC) estimated annual local savings from that change between $2,500,000 and $11,200,000 and said those funds could be used for infrastructure, water-quality projects or rate relief.
The fourth section would prohibit cloud seeding, which sponsors noted has historical roots in Ohio. Bazzoli referenced a U.S. Government Accountability Office report on weather modification and offered to provide that report to the committee.
Committee members asked whether the bill would amount to an effective ban on fluoride. A representative who cited research showing fluoridation can prevent tooth decay asked why localities should be given the option to remove it. Bazzoli responded: "This bill does not ban fluoride. It simply changes the word ‘shall’ to ‘may’ and gives our local communities the right to choose."
The bill was presented as an 18-page measure; sponsors invited questions and submitted technical materials to support the committee’s review. The hearing closed without a committee vote.
