§447-1.5  Community service license.  (a)  The board of dentistry may issue, without examination, a community service license to practice dental hygiene in the employment of a federally qualified health center, Native Hawaiian health center, community health center, rural health clinic, mobile dental outreach program, or post-secondary dental auxiliary training program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.  Community service licensees under this section shall abide by the requirements and conditions placed upon those fully licensed under this chapter.

     Eligible candidates shall:

     (1)  Provide copies of documentation and credentials that include but are not limited to:

          (A)  A diploma or certificate of graduation from a dental hygiene college accredited by or that has a reciprocal agreement with the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, recognized and approved by the board; and

          (B)  Either of the following:

              (i)  A certificate or other evidence satisfactory to the board of having passed the examination of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination within five years of the date of request; or

             (ii)  Evidence of active clinical dental hygiene practice of not less than one thousand hours per year for the three years immediately prior to the date of request;

     (2)  Provide a copy of an active, unrestricted dental hygiene practice license from another state;

     (3)  Disclose to the board of dentistry all previous and pending legal or regulatory action relating to claims of malpractice, or personal or professional misconduct; and

     (4)  Pay applicable registration fees, which shall be one half of the prevailing biennial registration fee for dental hygienists.

No person who, after July 2, 2004, has failed to pass the license examination administered under this chapter may be issued a community service license.

     (b)  Community service licensees shall actively participate in a formal and ongoing program of clinical quality assurance.

     (c)  A license may be renewed annually, pending review and reauthorization of the board of dentistry.

     (d)  A community service license authorizes the licensee to practice dental hygiene only within the employment of an eligible organization and shall be in force until the earliest of the following occurs:

     (1)  The date the person leaves the employment authorized under the community service license;

     (2)  The date on which the results of the license examination taken by the person under this chapter are posted by the board;

     (3)  The date the community service license expires; or

     (4)  The date on which the board revokes the community service license; provided that the board may revoke the community service license at any time for cause.

     (e)  Commissioned officers of the United States Army, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, the United States Public Health Service, or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs practicing in a federally qualified health center or Native Hawaiian health systems center, shall qualify for a community service license to practice dental hygiene, which may be issued for the term of the dental hygienists federal duty assignment.  Officers shall provide to the board of dentistry:

     (1)  A copy of an active, unrestricted dental hygiene license from another state; and

     (2)  A copy of documentation reflecting official duty assignment to a qualifying community service dental hygiene license site. [L 2004, c 166, §2; am L 2006, c 31, §2; am L 2017, c 12, §1; am L 2018, c 203, §4; am L 2023, c 100, §1]

Revision Note

  "July 2, 2004," substituted for "the effective date of this section".