Defluoridation Bills Dead In Tennessee Legislature For 2nd Year

Image Credit: TN General Assembly

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

Two separate bills that would have required the defluoridation of Tennessee’s public water supply have failed in their Senate committee, making this the second consecutive year such legislation has met an unceremonious end in the General Assembly. 

Despite making progress in the House, SB0162 failed in the Senate Energy, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, March 11. This bill would simply have added fluoridating a public water system to the list of prohibited acts concerning water systems under the Tennessee Safe Drinking Water Act of 1983.

During the committee meeting, bill sponsor Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald-District 28) pointed to a landmark federal court decision issued in September of 2025 which reviewed seven years’ worth of research on fluoride exposure and found that exposure to the chemical at current levels recommended by U.S. agencies presents “an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children, with studies showing an average of 1 to 5 IQ points associated with higher exposure.”

He also noted that the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) former Oral Health Director acknowledged under oath that fluoride’s benefit is topical, not systemic, meaning it works when applied to the surface of teeth, not when swallowed. 

Additionally, he stated that research shows unborn babies and infants remain among the most vulnerable populations for neurotoxicity, with bottle-fed babies receiving a disproportionate amount of fluoride per body weight with no dosage control. 

Finally, Hensley stressed the dangers of forcing what amounts to unregulated mass-medication onto individuals without their consent, especially as inexpensive topical alternatives, like toothpaste, already exist, and pointed to other states including Utah and Florida which have already successfully made the leap to statewide defluoridation.

Despite these points, the bill did not garner the needed support as some committee Republicans advocated and that the local control municipalities currently carry should be prioritized over individual control.

“We have empowered our locals. Just as we resent Washington [D.C.] telling us what we have to do, we have given our local governments the opportunity to listen to the citizens and make those informed choices, what’s in the best interest for their citizens,” Sen. Page Walley said. 

Notably, while a couple Tennessee municipalities have voted to defluoridate their water system after lengthy processes, there have been several other instances where citizens have petitioned at the local level to no effect, with boards either outright ignoring the requests or declining to make any changes after pressure from medical associations.

Sen. Janice Bowling spoke in favor of the bill, calling fluoridation “a very dangerous situation.” She continued, “A lot of people do not realize the dangers of it, a lot of it is just what we’ve always done. But when you say that at a local level, they should be able to make the decision, my question is at the local level, are there still going to be children in Tennessee with lowered IQs and increased health issues that we’re all going to end up paying for and suffering from?” 

Ultimately, the vote was 5-4 against, with Republicans Bobby Harshbarger, Shane Reeves, and Page Walley joining two Democrats to vote “No”. 

The House companion narrowly passed the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee last week but with the failure of SB0162, bill sponsor Rep. Michele Reneau will not be able to continue pursuing the legislation in the House, confirming it is dead for the year.

A second piece of fluoride legislation would not only have prohibited the addition of chemical fluoride in public water supplies but would also have applied to any bottled water sold in the state.

But SB2304 was taken off notice by bill sponsor Sen. Mark Pody who, as a member of the Energy, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee, witnessed what happened to the other bill and knew his would likely face a similar fate.

The House companion to Pody’s bill has not had a hearing in its respective subcommittee and will now be highly unlikely to do so as some subcommittees are already having their last meetings of the session, meaning this bill is also dead. 

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.