SENATE BILL REPORT

 

                           SHB 1801

 

     AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES,

                         APRIL 1, 1993

 

 

Brief Description:  Granting temporary licenses to dental hygienists licensed in another state.

 

SPONSORS: House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Morris, Flemming, Dellwo, Dyer, Zellinsky, Dorn, Valle, Rayburn, Ludwig, Bray, Pruitt and Long)

 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

 

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended. 

     Signed by Senators Talmadge, Chairman; Wojahn, Vice Chairman; Deccio, Erwin, Franklin, Hargrove, McAuliffe, McDonald, Moyer, Niemi, Quigley, L. Smith, and Winsley.

 

Staff:  Scott Plack (786‑7409)

 

Hearing Dates: March 23, 1993; April 1, 1993

 

 

BACKGROUND:

 

The Dental Hygiene Practice Act authorizes licensure by endorsement.  This provision allows an applicant for licensure who holds a valid license in another state to be granted licensure in Washington without taking the state's competency examination.  It applies only to those states that the Secretary of Health has determined have licensing standards substantively equivalent to Washington.

 

Dental hygiene licensing standards of the other states are not substantively equivalent to those in Washington because of the more expansive scope of practice authorized here.  It is unlikely that any dental hygienist licensed in another state would qualify for licensure by endorsement.

 

The intent of the licensure by endorsement is to facilitate the interstate mobility of qualified dental hygienists who desire to practice in this state and is aimed at helping improve access to dental hygiene services.

 

SUMMARY:

 

The Department of Health is directed to issue a temporary license to any applicant who holds a valid license in another state.  The person must currently be engaged in active practice and be able to document with the Secretary of Health that he or she has graduated from an accredited training program and has passed the national dental hygiene examination.  Active practice is defined as 560 hours of practice in the last 24 months.

 

The applicant for a temporary license must also demonstrate to the secretary a knowledge of Washington dental hygiene law, pay any required licensure fees and meet AIDS training requirements.  Any holder of a temporary license is subject to the state's Uniform Disciplinary Act.  The temporary license is valid for 18 months and may not be renewed.

 

The scope of practice for a dental hygienist holding a temporary license is limited to specified basic dental hygiene services.  The person is not permitted to administer injections of local anesthetics, except through a temporary endorsement; place, carve or adjust restorations for fitting, except through a temporary endorsement; perform soft-tissue curettage or administer nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesia.

 

Applicants not meeting state licensing standards in restorative or local anesthetic must complete approved training courses in these procedures before being eligible to take the dental hygiene examination.

 

The secretary is authorized to develop rules to administer this act.

 

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

 

Legislative intent is added to declare that temporary licenses are not intended to be a solution to the dental hygiene shortage problem.  A June 30, 1997 termination is placed on the bill.  The Secretary of Health must report to the Legislature by December 1, 1996, on the continued need for temporary licenses.

 

As part of the statewide Health Personnel Resource Plan, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges must identify health professional training needs not currently met by the community and technical college system.  It must recommend creation of new training programs to meet shortages and identify where such programs should be created within the community and technical college system.  Every publicly funded community and technical college identified by the board must describe in their biennial budget the training programs that will be established to alleviate shortages.

 

Appropriation:  none

 

Revenue:  none

 

Fiscal Note:  requested

 

TESTIMONY FOR:

 

The temporary licenses will help address shortages of dental hygienists that exist in some areas of the state.  Dental hygienists from other states often must take additional coursework in order to pass the state licensing examination.  The examinations are offered infrequently.  This combination of factors makes it difficult for out-of-state applicants to obtain a license to practice in this state.

 

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

 

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Sue Shoblom, Dept. Health Dental Licensing Programs; Dr. Victor J. Barry, WA State Dental Assn.; Amy Skentzos, RDH; Trina Poulsen, RDH, WSDHA; Sharon Gilightly, RDH; Jeff Larsen, WA State Dental Hygienist Assn.; Barbara Kempkes