CSHB 383(L&C)-DENTIST LICENSE EXAM EXCEPTION                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:22:30 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR ELLIS announced CSHB 383(L&C) to be up for consideration.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
KAREN  LIDSTER, staff  to Representative  Coghill, sponsor  of HB                                                               
383,  explained this  bill makes  a small  change to  be able  to                                                               
capture the  expertise of our  military personnel that  have been                                                               
working in the dental field for  years, but have been promoted to                                                               
positions  of supervision.  On page  2, lines  14-15, "or  a full                                                               
time dental  supervisory position  in an agency  of or  the armed                                                               
forces of the  United States" was added  after "clinical practice                                                               
averaging at least 20 hours a week".                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:24:31 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR ELLIS asked if there is any known opposition.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. LIDSTER  replied none. It  is supported by the  Department of                                                               
Military  and  Veterans  Affairs,  the  Dental  Society  and  the                                                               
Division of Occupational Licensing.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  ELLIS asked  if this  hasn't  caused a  turf concern  with                                                               
current licensed dentists in the state.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. LIDSTER replied no.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:25:27 PM                                                                                                                    
DR. DAVID EICHLER,  representing himself, North Pole,  said he is                                                               
also  the  president  of  the  Board  of  Dental  Examiners,  and                                                               
supported HB 383. It allows a  pathway to licensure for some very                                                               
highly  skilled and  competent people  who might  otherwise leave                                                               
the state.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS asked  if he had any qualms at  all about someone                                                               
in  a command  position being  able to  keep up  with changes  in                                                               
dentistry.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
DR. EICHLER replied  no. He explained that  the other credentials                                                               
for licensure that this bill would  be a subsection say they have                                                               
to be licensed  in another state for their  whole career, they've                                                               
practiced dentistry for long years  already, they don't reach the                                                               
command positions until  they are a full colonel or  close to it,                                                               
which is about  20 years. They maintain really  high standards of                                                               
continuing education  and practice  in an environment  with other                                                               
professionals in developing their skills.  If they are out of the                                                               
clinical setting with their practice,  they go back and redevelop                                                               
their  skills as  any  other professional  would.  It's like  any                                                               
other  skill -  it becomes  a  part of  you. He  didn't have  any                                                               
problems with granting licensure to some in that position.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:30:36 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS said it  makes a lot of sense, and  if they had a                                                               
lot  of time  he  would ask  for something  in  writing from  the                                                               
Dental  Society. He  asked  if something  like  that already  was                                                               
available.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  LIDSTER  replied she  didn't  have  correspondence from  the                                                               
Dental Society,  but the executive  director has  communicated he                                                               
was comfortable with this bill.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS said that made it okay with him.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ELLIS  asked if that  person testified on public  record in                                                               
the House or was it just a conversation with staff.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. LIDSTER replied it wasn't on  the public record, but they had                                                               
the conversation with Dr. Eichler.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ELLIS  asked her for  some kind of correspondence  from the                                                               
Dental  Society in  support of  this bill  to put  in the  bill's                                                               
file.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:32:58 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DAVIS moved to report  CSHB 383 (L&C) from committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
were no objections and it was so ordered.