Bill > HB776

This bill, titled the Kentucky Dental Practice Act, makes several significant changes to the regulation of dental professionals and practices in Kentucky. It requires the Kentucky Board of Dentistry (KRS 313.021) to affiliate with all testing organizations that administer qualifying examinations for licensure and mandates the board to purchase liability insurance for its members and staff. The bill also allows the board to use funds from its trust and agency account for scholarships or education loan repayment assistance (KRS 313.022). It updates the criteria for recognizing dental specialists by adding the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards (KRS 313.035). Furthermore, the bill mandates minimum classification licensure for dental hygienists, clarifies their operational scope within dental practices, and amends the conditions and services they can provide, including allowing them to make radiographs under specific conditions (KRS 313.040). Changes are also made to the services provided by dental assistants, including their ability to take radiographs after approved training (KRS 313.045). The bill clarifies provisions related to radiography and allows for consent by a legal representative during telehealth sessions (KRS 313.060). It also amends license and registration restrictions, including prohibiting entities that set reimbursement rates from controlling dental practices, while allowing existing contractual arrangements to continue and expand (KRS 313.080, Section 12). The bill permits the Law Enforcement Committee to offer an agreed order during complaint investigations and allows the Well-being Committee to enter into contractual agreements to support individuals facing impairment issues (KRS 313.090, KRS 313.130). Finally, it directs employment provisions for dental laboratories operating in Kentucky and makes technical corrections and removes outdated language throughout the chapter, officially designating it as the Kentucky Dental Practice Act (Section 16, Section 17).