House Bill 1991, also known as Senate Bill 1926, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to dental professions. The bill introduces new provisions allowing dental hygienists, under specific supervision conditions, to perform certain tasks before a dentist sees a patient. These tasks include completing diagnostic radiographs, assessing and recording existing hard and soft tissue data, performing prophylaxis, and applying fluoride agents. Additionally, the bill expands the prescriptive authority of dental hygienists to include specific non-controlled substances, such as fluoride agents and topical oral anesthetics, while also mandating that the board establish educational and training requirements for hygienists to exercise this authority.

The bill also includes a provision for the electronic distribution of annual reports related to dental practices. The effective date for the rule-making provisions of the act is upon becoming law, while the remaining provisions will take effect on January 1, 2027. This timeline allows for the necessary adjustments and preparations within the dental profession to comply with the new regulations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 63-5-106
Amended with SA0972, SA0973, SA1040 -- 04/15/2026: 63-5-106, 63-5-108(c), 63-5-108, 63-5-108(h)(1), 63-5-108(h)(4)