Senate Bill sb0572c2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2003                     CS for CS for SB 572

    By the Committees on Appropriations; Health, Aging, and
    Long-Term Care; and Senator Fasano




    309-2327-03

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to dental licensure

  3         examinations; amending s. 466.006, F.S.;

  4         allowing certain dental students to take the

  5         examination required for practicing dentistry

  6         in this state; creating s. 466.0065, F.S.;

  7         allowing certain dental students to take

  8         regional licensure examinations under specified

  9         conditions; restricting the applicability of

10         examination results; requiring approval by the

11         Board of Dentistry and providing prerequisites

12         to such approval; providing an appropriation

13         and authorizing a position; providing an

14         effective date.

15  

16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

17  

18         Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 466.006, Florida

19  Statutes, is amended to read:

20         466.006  Examination of dentists.--

21         (2)  An applicant shall be entitled to take the

22  examinations required in this section to practice dentistry in

23  this state if the applicant:

24         (a)  Is 18 years of age or older.

25         (b)1.  Is a graduate of a dental school accredited by

26  the Commission on Accreditation of the American Dental

27  Association or its successor agency, if any, or any other

28  nationally recognized accrediting agency; or.

29         2.  Is a dental student in the final year of such an

30  accredited school and has completed all the coursework

31  necessary to prepare him or her to perform the clinical and

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2003                     CS for CS for SB 572
    309-2327-03




 1  didactic procedures required to pass the examination. With

 2  respect to a dental student in his or her final year of dental

 3  school, a passing score on the examination is valid for 180

 4  days after the date the examination was completed. Pursuant to

 5  s. 466.011, a dental student who takes the licensure

 6  examination during his or her final year of an approved dental

 7  school must have graduated before being certified for

 8  licensure.

 9         (c)  Has successfully completed the National Board of

10  Dental Examiners dental examination within 10 years before of

11  the date of application.

12         Section 2.  Section 466.0065, Florida Statutes, is

13  created to read:

14         466.0065  Regional licensure examinations.--

15         (1)  It is the intent of the Legislature that schools

16  of dentistry be allowed to offer regional licensure

17  examinations to dental students who are in the final year of

18  an approved dental school for the sole purpose of facilitating

19  the student's licensing in other jurisdictions. This section

20  does not allow a person to be licensed as a dentist in this

21  state without taking the examination as set forth in s.

22  466.006 nor does this section mean that regional examinations

23  administered under this section may be substituted for

24  complying with testing requirements under s. 466.006.

25         (2)  Each school of dentistry in this state which is

26  accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American

27  Dental Association or its successor agency may, upon written

28  approval by the Board of Dentistry, offer regional licensure

29  examinations only to dental students in the final year of an

30  approved dental school, if the board has approved the hosting

31  

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2003                     CS for CS for SB 572
    309-2327-03




 1  school's submitted written plan to comply with the following

 2  conditions:

 3         (a)  The examining body must be a member of the

 4  American Association of Dental Examiners.

 5         (b)  The student must have successfully completed parts

 6  I and II of the National Board of Dental Examiners

 7  examination within 2 years before taking the regional

 8  examination.

 9         (c)  The student must possess medical malpractice

10  insurance in amounts that the board determines to be

11  sufficient to cover any reasonably forseeable incident of harm

12  to a patient during the clinical portion of the examination.

13         (d)  The examination must be monitored by dentists

14  licensed in this state who are approved by the board and who

15  have completed a mandatory standardization exercise before

16  each practical or clinical examination.

17         (e)  Adequate arrangements must be made, when

18  necessary, for patients who require followup care as a result

19  of procedures performed during the clinical portion of the

20  examination.

21         (f)  The board chairman or the chairman's designee must

22  be allowed to observe testing while it is in progress.

23         (g)  Each student, upon applying to take the regional

24  examination, must receive written disclosure in at least

25  12-point boldface type which states: "This examination does

26  not meet the licensure requirements of chapter 466, Florida

27  Statutes, for  licensure in the State of Florida. Persons

28  wishing to practice dentistry in Florida must pass the Florida

29  licensure examination. For more information on Florida's

30  licensure examination procedures, please contact the Florida

31  Board of Dentistry."

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2003                     CS for CS for SB 572
    309-2327-03




 1         (h)  The student must be enrolled as a dental student

 2  in his or her final year of an approved dental school that is

 3  accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American

 4  Dental Association or its successor agency.

 5         (i)  The student must have completed all the coursework

 6  necessary to prepare him or her to perform all clinical and

 7  didactic procedures required to pass the examination.

 8         (j)  The student's academic record must not include any

 9  evidence suggesting that the student poses an unreasonable

10  risk to any live patients who are required for the clinical

11  examination. In order to protect the health and safety of the

12  residents of this state, the board may request additional

13  information and documents pertaining to the candidate's mental

14  and physical health in order to fully assess the candidate's

15  fitness to engage in exercises involving a live patient.

16         (3)  A student who takes a regional examination

17  pursuant to this section does not have standing to assert that

18  a state agency has taken action for which a hearing may be

19  sought under ss. 120.569 and 120.57.

20         Section 3.  The sum of $58,179 is appropriated from the

21  Medical Quality Assurance Trust Fund to the Department of

22  Health, and one position is authorized for the purpose of

23  implementing this act during the 2003-2004 fiscal year.

24         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2003                     CS for CS for SB 572
    309-2327-03




 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                      CS for Senate Bill 572

 3                                 

 4  The Committee Substitute provides that regional licensure
    exams may be provided only to dental students in the final
 5  year, of an approved dental school, if the board has approved
    the hosting school's submitted written plan that complies with
 6  specified conditions.

 7  The bill appropriates $58,179 from the Medical Quality
    Assurance Trust Fund to the Department of Health and
 8  authorizes one position during FY 2003-04.

 9  

10  

11  

12  

13  

14  

15  

16  

17  

18  

19  

20  

21  

22  

23  

24  

25  

26  

27  

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.