S-0414.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5039

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Thibaudeau, Deccio, Kohl‑Welles, Prentice and Costa

Read first time 01/08/2001.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Allowing endorsed dental hygienists to provide sealants to low-income school children.

    AN ACT Relating to the endorsement of school sealant endorsed dental hygienists; adding new sections to chapter 18.29 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that access to preventive and restorative oral health services by low-income children is currently restricted by complex regulatory, financial, cultural, and geographic barriers that have resulted in a large number of children suffering unnecessarily from dental disease.  The legislature also finds that very early exposure to oral health care can reverse this disease in many cases, thereby significantly reducing costs of providing dental services to low-income populations.

    It is the intent of the legislature to address the problem of poor access to oral health care by providing for school-based sealant programs through the endorsement of dental hygienists.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A dental hygienist licensed under this chapter may apply for endorsement by the department of health as a school sealant endorsed dental hygienist upon completion of the Washington state sealant guidelines and training as developed or approved by the department of health.  The secretary of health may adopt rules to implement sections 2 through 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  (1) For low-income, rural, and other at-risk populations and in coordination with local public health jurisdictions and local oral health coalitions, dental hygienists who are school sealant endorsed under section 2 of this act may assess for and apply sealants in public and private school-based, school-linked sealant programs.

    (2) A dental hygienist endorsed under section 2 of this act shall refer in writing each sealant patient to a dentist for follow-up care.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  (1) The school sealant endorsement program will accept applications upon the establishment of the endorsement course by the secretary, or by July 1, 2002, whichever is sooner.  The secretary of health may impose a fee for implementation of this section and sections 2 and 3 of this act.

    (2) The department of health shall report to the legislature by December 1, 2005, on the impact of granting school sealant endorsements to dental hygienists to assess for and apply sealants in public and private school-based, school-linked sealant programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  Sections 2 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 18.29 RCW.

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