HB 127-DENTAL HYGIENIST ADVANCED PRAC PERMIT
3:18:26 PM
CHAIR WOOL announced that the first order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 127, "An Act relating to the practice of dental
hygiene; establishing an advanced practice permit; prohibiting
unfair discrimination under group health insurance against a
dental hygienist who holds an advanced practice permit; relating
to medical assistance for dental hygiene services; and providing
for an effective date."
[Before the committee was a proposed committee substitute (CS)
for HB 127, Version 31-LS0836\M, Fisher, 5/11/19.]
3:18:56 PM
ASHLEY STRAUCH, Staff, Representative Adam Wool, Alaska State
Legislature, explained [Version M] makes the following changes
to HB 127: It reflects what is currently in statute under the
scope of practice for dental hygienists by allowing a licensed
dental hygienist with an advanced practice permit to administer
local anesthesia if certified by the Board of Dental Examiners
on page 2, line 24. Second, on page 2, lines 28-29, Version M
adds "delegate dental operations and services to a dental
assistant as provided in AS 08.36.346." This allows the
licensed dental hygienists with an advanced practice permit to
delegate a dental assistant to perform services within their
scope of practice. Third, on page 4, lines 26-27, Version M
adds, "except as permitted under an advanced practice permit
under AS 08.32.125," which allows the Board of Dental Examiners
to suspend or revoke the license of a dental hygienist with an
advanced practice permit if they perform clinical procedures
outside their scope of practice and without the needed
supervision of a licensed dentist. Fourth, on page 4, line 31,
and page 5, lines 1-2, it makes a change to AS 08.32.160 by
adding, "(10) permitted a dental assistant employed by a dental
hygienist or working under the supervision of a dental hygienist
to perform a dental procedure in violation of AS 08.32.110 or AS
08.36.346;". This allows the board to suspend or revoke a
license of a dental hygienist if the dental assistant works
outside their scope of practice written in statute. Fifth, on
page 5, lines 3-5, it adds, "(11) falsified or destroyed a
patient or facility record or failed to maintain a patient or
facility record for at least seven years after the date the
record was created." This requires a licensed dental hygienist
with an advanced practice permit to keep patient records for at
least seven years. Sixth, on page, lines 6-12, there's an added
subsection (c) that allows an assistant who's working within his
or her scope of practice to be supervised by a dental hygienist
with an advanced practice permit. Finally, the seventh change
is on page 6, line 18, and gives the Department of Health and
Social Services the ability to adopt regulations necessary to
implement changes made in the Act.
3:24:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 127, labeled 31-LS0836\M, Fisher,
5/11/19, as the working draft. [There being no objection,
Version M was before the committee.]
3:25:51 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 3:25 to 3:39 p.m.
3:29:08 PM
CHAIR WOOL asked who is responsible if a dental assistant does
something countered to statute in a typical dental office.
3:29:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE IVY SPOHNHOLZ, Alaska State Legislature,
explained that in an integrated dental office where the dentist
has the license under which everyone else is formally operating,
the dentist is the ultimate arbiter of responsibility and is
responsible for both the dental hygienist and the dental
assistant.
3:31:13 PM
DAVID NIELSON, Board of Dental Examiners, concurred.
3:32:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES REPRESENTATIVE moved to report CSHB 127,
Version LS0836\M, Fisher, 5/11/19, out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
Without objection, CSHB 127(L&C) was moved from the House Labor
and Commerce Standing Committee.