Bill > H1173

Introduced Session

An act relating to dental therapy; amending s. 409.906, F.S.; authorizing Medicaid to reimburse for dental services provided in a mobile dental unit that is owned by, operated by, or contracted with a health access setting or another similar setting or program; amending s. 466.001, F.S.; revising legislative purpose and intent; amending s. 466.002, F.S.; providing applicability; reordering and amending s. 466.003, F.S.; defining the terms "dental therapist" and "dental therapy"; making technical changes; amending s. 466.004, F.S.; requiring the chair of the Board of Dentistry to appoint a Council on Dental Therapy, effective after a specified timeframe; providing for membership, meetings, and the purpose of the council; amending s. 466.006, F.S.; revising the definitions of the terms "full-time practice" and "full-time practice of dentistry within the geographic boundaries of this state within 1 year" to include full-time faculty members of certain dental therapy schools; amending s. 466.009, F.S.; requiring the Department of Health to allow any person who fails the dental therapy examination to retake the examination; providing that a person who fails a practical or clinical examination to practice dental therapy and who has failed one part or procedure of the examination may be required to retake only that part or procedure to pass the examination; amending s. 466.011, F.S.; requiring the board to certify an applicant for licensure as a dental therapist; creating s. 466.0136, F.S.; requiring the board to require each licensed dental therapist to complete a specified number of hours of continuing education; requiring the board to adopt rules and guidelines; authorizing the board to excuse licensees from continuing education requirements in certain circumstances; amending s. 466.016, F.S.; requiring a practitioner of dental therapy to post and display her or his license in each office where she or he practices; amending s. 466.017, F.S.; requiring the board to adopt certain rules relating to dental therapists; authorizing a dental therapist under the general supervision of a dentist to administer local anesthesia and operate an X-ray machine, expose dental X-ray films, and interpret or read such films if specified requirements are met; correcting the spelling of a term; amending s. 466.018, F.S.; providing that a dentist of record remains primarily responsible for the dental treatment of a patient regardless of whether the treatment is provided by a dental therapist; requiring that the initials of a dental therapist who renders treatment to a patient be placed in the record of the patient; creating s. 466.0225, F.S.; providing application requirements and examination and licensure qualifications for dental therapists; creating s. 466.0227, F.S.; authorizing a dental therapist to perform specified services under the general supervision of a dentist under certain conditions; specifying state-specific dental therapy services; requiring that a collaborative management agreement be signed by a supervising dentist and a dental therapist and to include certain information; requiring the supervising dentist to determine the number of hours of practice that a dental therapist must complete before performing certain authorized services; authorizing a supervising dentist to restrict or limit the dental therapist's practice in a collaborative management agreement; providing that a supervising dentist may authorize a dental therapist to provide dental therapy services to a patient before the dentist examines or diagnoses the patient under certain conditions; requiring a supervising dentist to be licensed and practicing in this state; specifying that the supervising dentist is responsible for certain services; amending s. 466.026, F.S.; providing criminal penalties for practicing dental therapy without an active license, selling or offering to sell a diploma from a dental therapy school or college, falsely using a specified name or initials, or holding oneself out as an actively licensed dental therapist; amending s. 466.028, F.S.; revising grounds for denial of a license or disciplinary action to include the practice of dental therapy; amending s. 466.0285, F.S.; prohibiting persons other than licensed dentists from employing a dental therapist in the operation of a dental office and from controlling the use of any dental equipment or material in certain circumstances; requiring the department, in consultation with the board and the Agency for Health Care Administration, to provide reports to the Legislature by specified dates; requiring that certain information and recommendations be included in the reports; providing an effective date.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Linda Chaney (R)*, 

Died in Health & Human Services Committee (on 03/08/2024)

Official Document