1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 HOUSE BILL 4041 By: Townley
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to professions and occupations;
7 amending 59 O.S. 2021, Section 328.54, which relates
8 to dental practice; modifying teledentistry
8 requirements; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Sections 1-2711
9 and 1-2712, which relate to the Oklahoma Dental Loan
9 Repayment Act; adding legislative findings;
10 increasing certain repayment program allowances;
10 modifying program requirements; and providing an
11 effective date.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 328.54, is
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16 amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 328.54 A. Any person conducting a diagnosis for the
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18 purpose of prescribing medication or treatment or any other action
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19 determined to be a dental practice as defined by the State Dental
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20 Act, via the Internet or other telecommunications device on any
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21 patient that is physically located in this state shall hold a valid
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22 Oklahoma state dental license.
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23 B. A dentist holding a valid dental license in Oklahoma may
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24 consult, diagnose and treat a patient of record via synchronous or
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 1 asynchronous telecommunication between the patient and dentist. The
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2 dentist must record all activities relating to teledentistry in the
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3 patient record and must have an office location in Oklahoma
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4 available for follow-up treatment and maintenance of records in
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5 Oklahoma or adjacent to Oklahoma and within fifty (50) miles of an
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6 Oklahoma border of a state with an interstate dental and dental
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7 hygienist compact.
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8 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 1-2711, is
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9 amended to read as follows:
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10 Section 1-2711. A. The Legislature recognizes that there is a
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11 need to:
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12 1. Upgrade the availability of quality dental care services for
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13 the people of Oklahoma;
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14 2. Improve the balance of dental manpower distribution in the
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15 state by geographic location; and
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16 3. Increase access to dental care to those who are dependent on
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17 the state for necessary dental care;
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18 4. Allow providers to work at the top of their license and
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19 utilize supporting roles; and
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20 5. Address the need for dental faculty.
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21 B. The purpose of the Oklahoma Dental Loan Repayment Act shall
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22 be to:
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23 1. Increase the number of dentists serving and caring for those
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24 dependent upon the state for dental care; and
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 1 2. Ensure that dental care and services are accessible
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2 throughout the state, and specifically, that quality dental care and
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3 services be accessible to underserved dental areas in rural and
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4 metropolitan areas of the state, and to those dependent upon the
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5 state for dental care.
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6 SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 1-2712, is
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7 amended to read as follows:
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8 Section 1-2712. A. 1. The State Department of Health shall
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9 administer the Oklahoma Dental Loan Repayment Program.
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10 2. The Program, depending upon available funding, shall provide
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11 educational loan repayment assistance for up to a total of twenty-
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12 five thirty full-time equivalent Oklahoma licensed dentists per year
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13 including new and continuing contract renewable participants.
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14 3. Each award shall be for a contracted period and shall be
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15 distributed to the participant by drafts made payable to the
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16 participant for deposit to an appropriate loan agency in equal
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17 monthly disbursements, not to exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars
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18 ($50,000.00) Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000.00) per year for a
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19 maximum five-year period. Prior to any disbursement, the Department
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20 shall certify and properly review monthly reports submitted by the
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21 participating dentist detailing performance of activities in
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22 accordance with the Oklahoma Dental Loan Repayment Act.
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23 4. At the conclusion of the minimum service obligation, the
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24 Department shall review the performance in the Program of the
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 1 participating dentist and determine whether an award may be granted
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2 for an additional period not to exceed a total participation in the
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3 Program of five (5) years pursuant to rules promulgated by the
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4 Department.
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5 B. Any dentist entering the Program each year as a nonfaculty
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6 participant shall agree to provide dental care and services to
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7 Medicaid recipients as authorized by the Oklahoma Health Care
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8 Authority. The Department shall be responsible for ensuring that at
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9 least thirty percent (30%) of the patients treated by the dentist
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10 will be Medicaid recipients.
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11 1. Any general practice dentist entering the Program each year
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12 as a nonfaculty participant shall agree to provide dental care and
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13 services in a designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Area
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14 (DHPSA) of this state.
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15 2. Any dentist licensed to practice as a Pediatric Dentistry
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16 Specialist as defined by the State Dental Act or any dentist
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17 practicing in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), FQHC look-
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18 alike, county health department or city-county health department may
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19 be exempt from the requirement to practice in a Dental Health
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20 Professional Shortage Area (DHPSA).
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21 C. A dentist entering the Program as a faculty participant
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22 shall agree to teach at the University of Oklahoma College of
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23 Dentistry. In the event there are no appropriate faculty
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24 applicants, the Program may award additional nonfaculty dentists.
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 1 D. A dentist shall be eligible to participate in the Program if
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2 the dentist:
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3 1. Is a new dental school graduate. Preference will be given
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4 to graduates of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry;
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5 2. Is licensed to practice dentistry in Oklahoma; and
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6 3. Has demonstrated financial need.
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7 E. The dentist shall execute a contract with the Department to
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8 provide dental services pursuant to the terms of the contract and in
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9 accordance with rules promulgated by the Department.
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10 F. If the dentist does not fulfill the service obligation, the
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11 Department may collect from the participant the entire amount of
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12 loan payments made under the Program plus interest.
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13 G. The Department shall present a report on the operation of
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14 the Program to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of
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15 Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate within
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16 one (1) month of the beginning of each regular session of the
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17 Legislature including but not limited to the progress made in
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18 accomplishing the goal of the Program.
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19 SECTION 4. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
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21 59-2-9135 SW 01/03/24
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