This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services to implement a recommendation from the Commission to Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Studying Alternative Pathways for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 107. The joint standing committee has not taken a position on the substance of this bill. By reporting this bill out, the joint standing committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this bill; instead, the joint standing committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed that can be referred to a joint standing committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal course. The joint standing committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative review of the proposals contained in the bill. The bill establishes a new dentist license category, an associate dentist license, which allows a qualified dentist who lacks the board-determined educational equivalency to a United States doctoral degree in dentistry, such as a dentist trained outside of the United States with a bachelor of dentistry degree, to obtain a license to practice dentistry under the general supervision of a licensed dentist through a written practice agreement signed by both parties. The bill also establishes a pathway to be licensed as a dentist after practicing with an associate dentist license in good standing for 6 consecutive years.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 2206, HP 1483: 32.18342, 32.18371