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.