Bills Relating to dental hygiene signed into law, July 2007 through September 2008.

Alaska HB 319 Signed 7/25/08

This bill creates collaborative practice for dental hygienists, adds restorative services for both dental hygienists and dental assistants and allows a dental hygienist to administer local anesthesia under general supervision.

California SB 853 Signed 6/13/08

This bill creates a self-regulating dental hygiene committee in conjunction with the Department of Consumer Affairs. The committee will consist of four dental hygienists, four public members and one dentist appointed by the governor.

Colorado HB 1134 Signed 3/20/08

This bill exempts community health centers, state agencies and, for a period of one year, legal heirs from the requirement that only a dentist may own a dental practice and only a dentist or dental hygienist may own a dental hygiene practice.

Florida HB 923 Signed 5/28/08

This bill allows dentists in practice for five years who are licensed in another state to obtain a Florida "health access" dental license without taking the clinical exam. Practice is limited to "health access" settings such as community health centers and head start centers.

Indiana HB 1172 Signed 3/24/08

This bill allows dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia under direct supervision and expands the current law to allow prescriptive supervision in hospitals, clinics, fixed charitable institutions, public health settings and correctional institutions. Under prescriptive supervision, the physical presence of a dentist is not required, but the dentist must have examined the patient and prescribed the patient care within the previous 45 days.

Kansas HB 2781 Signed 3/28/08

This bill removes the prohibition against dentists owning satellite offices in rural counties with less than 10,000 people.

Louisiana SB 312 Signed 7/8/08

This bill requires water fluoridation for public water systems statewide with at least 5,000 connections. Communities can vote to opt out if 15 percent of registered voters sign a petition.

Maine LD 2277 Signed 4/15/08

This bill creates an independent practice dental hygienist. An independent practice dental hygienist must possess a bachelor's degree from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program and have 2,000 hours of clinical practice in a private dental practice, or possess an associate degree from a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program and have 6,000 hours of clinical practice in a private dental practice. A referral plan must exist for patients in need of additional care.

Maryland HB 1280 Signed 4/24/08

This bill allows a public health dental hygienist to work in a variety of public health settings including: facilities owned and operated by federal, state or local governments, schools and Head Start programs.

Minnesota SB 2942 Signed 5/12/08

This bill establishes an Oral Health Practitioner (OHP)--formerly the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP)--in statute and convenes a workgroup to make recommendations and propose legislation that defines the scope of practice, supervision, education and regulation of the provider.

New Hampshire HB 1487 Signed 6/18/08

This bill establishes a committee to study the ADHP and models proposed by the American Dental Hygienists' Association, the American Dental Association and other national and state groups to increase access to oral health care.

New York SB 1239 Signed 7/18/07

This bill requires that students entering pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or the first grade present a dental health certificate.

Pennsylvania SB 455 Signed 7/20/07

This bill allows a public health dental hygiene practitioner to provide preventive health care to individuals in a variety of public health settings without dental supervision.

Utah SB 174 Signed 3/17/08

This bill removes a provision that allowed for licensure of foreign-trained dentists and dental hygienists.

West Virginia HB 4129 Signed 3/31/08

This bill establishes a special volunteer dental hygienist license for retired dental hygienists who wish to donate their expertise for the care and treatment of indigent and needy patients.

West Virginia SB 13 Signed 3/20/08

This bill authorizes the board of dental examiners to promulgate rules allowing a dental hygienist to practice in public health settings under different degrees of supervision.

Rules

New Jersey Adopted N.J.A.C. 13:30-1A.3

This bill permits a dental hygienist to administer local anesthesia under direct supervision. The rule requires passage of the Northeast Regional Board of Dental Examiners' written examination in the administration of local anesthesia, and completion of a board-approved course in local anesthesia that is at least 20 hours of didactic instruction and 12 hours of clinical training.

Tennessee Final Rule 0460-3-.12.

This bill permits a dental hygienist to administer local anesthesia under direct supervision. The rule requires completion of a board-approved course that is at least 32 hours in length, 24 hours of which must be didactic.

Virginia Final 4/16/08

This bill establishes guidelines, criteria and regulations to enable licensed dental hygienists to practice local anesthesia and administer nitrous oxide. A dental hygienist who completed a 36-hour course and successfully passed a CODA-accredited exam is certified to administer nitrous oxide and local anesthesia to patients 18 years of age or older under the direction of a dentist.

Vermont Approved 5/13/08

The board of dental examiners approved proposed rules that allow dental hygienists to provide hygiene services in public health settings under the supervision of a dentist via a general supervision agreement. The agreement authorizes the dental hygienist to provide services agreed to between the dentist and the dental hygienist, including sealants, fluoride varnish and prophylaxis. The agreement does not require physical presence of the dentist, but it stipulates that the supervising dentist review all patient records.

Stateline is prepared by the ADHA Division of Governmental Affairs.