WSR 15-23-005

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed November 5, 2015, 12:11 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 246-817-550 Acts that may be performed by licensed dental hygienists under general supervision and 246-817-560 Acts that may be performed by licensed dental hygienists under close supervision, considering adding tasks that a dentist may delegate to a dental hygienist under general supervision.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 18.32.0365 and SB 5606, chapter 120, Laws of 2015.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The dental quality assurance commission is considering adding to the existing rule the following tasks that a dentist may delegate to a dental hygienist under general supervision: Head and neck exam and cancer screenings, administer local anesthetics, impression tasks, administer local anesthetic reversal agents, administer dental local anesthetic buffering systems, and deliver premedications.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Jennifer Santiago, Department of Health, Dental Quality Assurance Commission, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone (360) 236-4893, fax (360) 236-2901. Interested stakeholders may sign up for the dental commission's listserv at http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=dental-qac&A=1. All rule-making notices will be e-mailed to the dental commission's interested parties list (listserv), Washington State Dental Association, Washington State Dental Hygienists' Association, and local health jurisdictions.

November 4, 2015

Trina Castle

Executive Director