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SB 938 — Dentistry
by Senator Yarborough
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Health Policy Committee (HP)
The bill removes the Board of Dentistry and the Department of Health from the dental examination administration process and deletes obsolete language relating to the process.
The bill revises dental licensure requirements by:
- Deleting language requiring dental students who have completed the coursework necessary to prepare to pass the American Dental License Examination (ADEX) to wait until their final year of dental school to apply for licensure;
- Deleting the National Board of Dental Examiners dental examination as obsolete, replacing it with the examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, or its successor organization;
- Deleting an alternate pathway to dental licensure by having an active Florida health access dental license and meeting specific additional practice requirements;
- Deleting language relating to ADEX scores being valid for only 365 days after the date the official examination results are published; and
- Requiring that an out-of-state licensed dentist applying for licensure in Florida must disclose to the board during the application process, rather than submit proof to the Board of Dentistry, whether he or she has been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank, or the American Association of Dental Boards Clearinghouse.
The bill deletes the requirement that out-of-state licensed dentists applying for Florida licensure who apply for and receive a Florida license, must engage in the full-time practice of dentistry inside the geographic boundaries of the state for one year after licensure, and deletes the provisions related to compliance and enforcement of this requirement.
The bill allows any person who fails the examination for licensure as a dentist or dental hygienist to retake the examination.
If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor’s signature, the bill takes effect July 1, 2024.
Vote: Senate 40-0; House 113-0