HB 0657 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to dental licensure examinations; amending
3	s. 466.006, F.S.; allowing certain dental students to take
4	the examinations required to practice dentistry in this
5	state under specified conditions; providing a prerequisite
6	to licensure of such students; creating s. 466.0065, F.S.;
7	allowing certain dental students to take regional
8	licensure examinations under specified conditions;
9	restricting the applicability of examination results to
10	licensing in other jurisdictions; requiring approval by
11	the Board of Dentistry and providing prerequisites to such
12	approval; providing an effective date.
13
14	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16	Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 466.006, Florida
17	Statutes, is amended to read:
18	466.006 Examination of dentists.--
19	(2) An applicant shall be entitled to take the
20	examinations required in this section to practice dentistry in
21	this state if the applicant:
22	(a) Is 18 years of age or older.
23	(b)1.Is a graduate of a dental school accredited by the
24	Commission on Accreditation of the American Dental Association
25	or its successor agency, if any, or any other nationally
26	recognized accrediting agency; or.
27	2. Is a dental student in the final year of such an
28	accredited school who has completed all the coursework necessary
29	to prepare him or her to perform the clinical and diagnostic
30	procedures required to pass the examinations. With respect to a
31	dental student in his or her final year of dental school, a
32	passing score on the examinations is valid for 180 days after
33	the date the examinations were completed. A dental school
34	student who takes the licensure examinations during his or her
35	final year of an approved dental school must have graduated
36	before being certified for licensure pursuant to s. 466.011.
37	(c) Has successfully completed the National Board of
38	Dental Examiners dental examination within 10 years beforeof
39	the date of application.
40	Section 2. Section 466.0065, Florida Statutes, is created
41	to read:
42	466.0065 Regional licensure examinations.--
43	(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that schools of
44	dentistry be allowed to offer regional licensure examinations to
45	dental students who are in the final year of an approved dental
46	school for the sole purpose of facilitating the student's
47	licensing in other jurisdictions. This section does not allow a
48	person to be licensed as a dentist in this state without taking
49	the examinations as set forth in s. 466.006, nor does this
50	section mean that regional examinations administered under this
51	section may be substituted for complying with testing
52	requirements under s. 466.006.
53	(2) Each school of dentistry in this state which is
54	accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American
55	Dental Association or its successor agency may, upon written
56	approval by the Board of Dentistry, offer regional licensure
57	examinations only to dental students in the final year of an
58	approved dental school, if the board has determined that the
59	dental school hosting the examination will comply with the
60	following conditions:
61	(a) The examining body must be a member of the American
62	Association of Dental Examiners.
63	(b) The student must have successfully completed parts I
64	and II of the National Board of Dental Examiners examination
65	within 2 years before taking the regional examination.
66	(c) The student must possess medical malpractice insurance
67	in amounts that the board determines to be sufficient to cover
68	any reasonably forseeable incident of harm to a patient during
69	the clinical portion of the regional examination.
70	(d) The regional examination must be monitored by dentists
71	licensed in this state who are approved by the board and who
72	have completed a mandatory standardization exercise before each
73	practical or clinical portion of the examination.
74	(e) Adequate arrangements must be made, when necessary,
75	for patients who require followup care as a result of procedures
76	performed during the clinical portion of the regional
77	examination.
78	(f) The board chair or the chair's designee must be
79	allowed to observe testing while it is in progress.
80	(g) Each student, upon applying to take the regional
81	examination, must receive written disclosure in at least 12-
82	point boldface type which states: "This examination does not
83	meet the licensure requirements of chapter 466, Florida
84	Statutes, for licensure in the State of Florida. Persons wishing
85	to practice dentistry in Florida must pass the Florida licensure
86	examinations. For more information on Florida's licensure
87	examination procedures, please contact the Florida Board of
88	Dentistry."
89	(h) The student must be enrolled as a dental student in
90	his or her final year of an approved dental school that is
91	accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American
92	Dental Association or its successor agency.
93	(i) The student must have completed all the coursework
94	necessary to prepare him or her to perform all clinical and
95	diagnostic procedures required to pass the regional examination.
96	(j) The student's academic record must not include any
97	evidence suggesting that the student poses an unreasonable risk
98	to any live patients who are required for the clinical portion
99	of the regional examination. In order to protect the health and
100	safety of the residents of this state, the board may request
101	additional information and documents pertaining to the
102	candidate's mental and physical health in order to fully assess
103	the candidate's fitness to engage in exercises involving a live
104	patient.
105	(3) A student who takes a regional examination pursuant to
106	this section does not have standing to assert that a state
107	agency has taken action for which a hearing may be sought under
108	ss. 120.569 and 120.57.
109	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.