STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1881

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 162

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 162, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTISTRY LICENSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand access to dental care by:

(1) Adding community health centers, rural health clinics, and mobile dental outreach programs to the list of eligible organizations at which those with a community service license may practice;

(2) Allowing dental hygiene and dental college graduates who have graduated from educational programs with a reciprocal agreement with the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation to apply for temporary or community service licenses;

(3) Expanding eligibility for a community service license to practice dentistry to those candidates who have passed the Integrated National Board Dental Examination within five years of the date of request; and

(4) Allowing an applicant for licensure to practice dentistry to submit evidence to the Board of Dentistry that the applicant passed the Integrated National Board Dental Examination.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Hawai‘i Oral Health Coalition, Hawaii Dental Association, AlohaCare, Hawai‘i Children's Action Network Speaks!, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing, Board of Dentistry, and Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that oral health is essential to the overall physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being of the residents of the State. However, your Committee further finds that low-income families, intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals, elderly individuals, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations, and neighbor island residents are disproportionately impacted by poor oral health. Your Committee notes that there are only two hundred forty federally qualified health center and general practice dentists who are active in Medicaid in the State, an unknown number of whom are currently accepting new patients. This measure promotes access to dental care to the underserved and vulnerable populations in the State, which is especially important given the recent reinstatement of dental benefits for adults insured through Medicaid.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the temporary license to practice dentistry for post-doctoral dental residents is available to graduates from a dental college accredited by, or that has a reciprocal agreement with, the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation that is recognized and approved by the Board of Dentistry; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 162, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 162, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair