Division of the Budget
Landon State Office Building Phone: (785) 296-2436
900 SW Jackson Street, Room 504 adam.c.proffitt@ks.gov
Topeka, KS 66612 Division of the Budget http://budget.kansas.gov
Adam Proffitt, Director Laura Kelly, Governor


February 10, 2021


The Honorable Brenda Landwehr, Chairperson
House Committee on Health and Human Services
Statehouse, Room 352C-S
Topeka, Kansas 66612
Dear Representative Landwehr:
SUBJECT: Fiscal Note for HB 2179 by House Committee on Health and Human
Services
In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2179 is
respectfully submitted to your committee.
HB 2179 would add dental therapists to the list of licensees under the Kansas Dental
Practices Act beginning July 1, 2022. To practice as a dental therapist, a person would be required
to have the following qualifications:
1. Be a licensed dental hygienist who is a graduate of a dental therapist education program
approved by the Board and who either has received at least 500 hours of clinical training
or provided documentation that the person has successfully completed additional training;
2. Pass a comprehensive, competency-based clinical examination that is approved by the
Board and administered independently of an institution which provides registered dental
practitioner education; and
3. Obtain a policy of professional liability insurance and show proof of the insurance as
required by rules and regulations.
The Board would be required to adopt rules and regulations regarding the licensure of
dental therapists. A person would be authorized to practice as a dental therapist if the person meets
the qualifications specified in the bill, works under the direct or general supervision of a dentist
licensed in Kansas, and is licensed by the Board. Supervising dentists would be limited to
supervising no more than three dental therapists. A supervising dentist must be either employed
by an indigent health care clinic or enrolled as a Medicaid provider. The bill would define “direct
The Honorable Brenda Landwehr, Chairperson
Page 2—HB 2179

supervision” and “general supervision” and lists the specific procedures that may be performed
under each type of supervision. Licensed dental therapists would be allowed to perform dental
hygiene tasks and procedures, subject to certain limitations. The bill would also specify the terms
and conditions for which a dentist or dental therapist’s license may be suspended or revoked. The
bill also makes several amendments throughout the Dental Practices Act relating to references to
dental therapists and the practice of dental therapy.
The Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Dental Board would be
required to submit a joint report to the 2032 Legislature on the effects of the bill on access to dental
care in rural Kansas.
The bill would permit the Board to collect fees related to the licensure of dental therapists.
The maximum limit for these fees would include $25 for certificates; $200 for biennial license
renewals; $150 for examinations; and $100 for subsequent examinations.
The Kansas Dental Board estimates that any fiscal effect resulting from the enactment of
HB 2179 could be absorbed within existing resources. The Board would receive additional
revenue from the new fees created by the bill. However, the amount of revenue cannot be
estimated because the number of dental therapists who would become licensed with the Board is
unknown. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment indicates that the bill would have
no fiscal effect on the agency. Any fiscal effect associated with HB 2179 is not reflected in The
FY 2022 Governor’s Budget Report.


Sincerely,

Adam Proffitt
Director of the Budget

cc: Dan Thimmesch, Health & Environment
Charity Carlat, Dental Board


Statutes affected:
As introduced: 65-1421, 65-1424, 65-1431, 65-1434, 65-1436, 65-1441, 65-1447, 65-1449, 65-1456, 75-6120, 65-1460, 65-1462, 65-1469, 65-4915, 65-4921, 65-5912, 65-7304, 74-1405, 74-1406, 75-2935, 75-6102