Bill > SB481

This bill aims to address the critical shortage of dental care providers in Hawaii, particularly for uninsured, underinsured, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander populations, by making several key changes to the community service license (CSL) regulations. The bill will now allow dental graduates from Canadian dental colleges accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada to be eligible for a CSL, removing previous restrictions that limited candidates to only those from American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (ADA CODA) schools. Additionally, the bill eliminates several previous requirements for CSL applicants, including the need to complete licensing examinations within five years, provide a license from another state, and the prohibition against those who have previously failed licensing exams. Most significantly, the bill introduces a new provision that allows a CSL to be automatically converted to an unrestricted dental practice license once a provider completes at least five thousand hours of community service to patients in the state. This change is intended to incentivize dental professionals to serve in underserved communities and address the state's significant dental care access challenges, particularly for med-QUEST eligible patients, where current statistics show only fifty percent of children and eleven percent of adults receive dental care.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=481&year=2025