Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205
03/31/2008 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB179 | |
| HB319 | |
| HB354 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 354 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 179 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 319 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 319-DENTISTS & DENTAL ASSISTANTS
2:04:25PM
CHAIR DAVIS announced consideration of HB 319. [Before the
committee was CSHB 319(L&C).]
PATTY KRUEGER, Staff to Representative Ramras, thanked the
committee for the opportunity to present HB 319 and said it
might sound familiar to them because it was very similar to SB
239. She said there was only one change that had been made in
this bill and she would bring it to their attention.
Ultimately oral health plays a key role in over all
health and unfortunately, not all Alaskans enjoy good
dental health due to geographical barriers, cost of
dental care and limitations in dental personnel. HB
319 follows the provisions already in place in 36
other states, allowing expanded duties of dental
assistants, thereby improving access to dental care
and reducing cost for dental care.
With expanded duties, dental assistants can help
community health centers and traveling dental teams,
provide greater access to care; and more cost-
effective care. This bill specifically lays the
framework for expanding dental assistant duties for 2
specific functions. It would allow a certified dental
assistant under a dentist's direct supervision to
place fillings into a cavity prepared by a licensed
dentist, and allow a certified dental assistant under
a dentist's direct supervision to polish teeth that
are already clean of tartar.
Dental assistants who perform expanded duties of
packing cavities or polishing teeth will have to pass
a training program and an exam prior to becoming
eligible for certification by the Alaska Dental Board.
Furthermore, supervising dentists must personally
authorize the procedure and examine the patient
afterward.
This bill is supported by the Alaska Dental Society,
Alaska Board of Dental Examiners, the Alaska Dental
Outreach Consortium and the Alaska Native Tribal
Health Consortium. HB 319 meets the goals of the
preliminary report of the Governor's Health Care
Strategies Planning Council.
The CS before the committee came from House Labor and Commerce
and incorporated a change that was brought forth from a legal
memo which accompanied the House version of HB 319. That change
was found on page 3, line 3; it restricted the duties that could
be delegated to a dental assistant.
MS. KRUEGER continued to say that as HB 319 moved to Senate
Finance, the intention was to add HB 136, which was "An Act
relating to the supervision of dental hygienists by dentists,
establishing a restorative function license endorsement for
dental hygienists and allowing collaborative agreements between
licensed dentists and dental hygienists."
2:08:51 PM
She commented that HB 136 was heard previously in the Senate
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Committee and
passed out with a vote of 3 do pass and 2 no recommendation; it
was passed out of Senate Labor and Commerce and was awaiting a
hearing in Senate Finance.
MS. KRUEGER thanked the committee for hearing the bill and for
their support of the legislation.
2:09:47 PM
DAVE LOGAN, Alaska Dental Society, Juneau, AK, said that Patty
did an excellent job of explaining the bill and offered to
answer questions.
SENATOR COWDERY asked Mr. Logan if the dentists supported this
bill.
MR. LOGAN answered yes, that the Dental Society supported HB
319.
CHAIR DAVIS confirmed that they had heard HB 136 and SB 239 and
asked Ms. Krueger if she understood her to say that she would
like to have HB 136 rolled into HB 319.
MS. KRUEGER testified that she would.
CHAIR DAVIS said she had spoken with Senator Thomas and he had
no problem with combining them, but she wanted to hear from
other members of the committee. There were no objections, so she
agreed they would combine them.
2:11:50 PM
MS. KRUEGER said Mark Davis was available should any questions
related to the new fiscal note need to be addressed.
DAVE EICHLER, DMD PC, Board of Dental Examiners, North Pole, AK
agreed that HB 319 was substantially similar to SB 239 that he
had testified in favor of it in early February; he reiterated
the Board's support for the concept of the bill and indicated
that the current version was acceptable to them.
CHAIR DAVIS asked whether Mr. Eichler had any problem with
combining HB 136 and HB 319.
Mr. Eichler replied that he had not been aware of the fiscal
note that recently came through on this bill and he would really
have liked to avoid Senate Finance and any entanglements there;
but if that was how things had to work, that was how things had
to work.
CHAIR DAVIS announced that she would put HB 319 aside until a
new CS could be prepared.
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