S-1725

AN ACT Relating to access to dental care; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 18.29 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 18.32 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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 new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW to read as follows:

The secretary is authorized to create a school sealant endorsement program for dental hygienists and dental assistants. The secretary of health, in consultation with the dental quality assurance commission and the dental hygiene examining committee, shall adopt rules to implement this section.

(1) A dental hygienist licensed in this state after the effective date of this act is eligible to apply for endorsement by the department of health as a school sealant dental hygienist upon completion of the Washington state school sealant endorsement program. While otherwise authorized to act, currently licensed hygienists may still elect to apply for the endorsement.

(2) A dental assistant employed after the effective date of this act by a dentist licensed in this state, who has worked under dental supervision for at least two hundred hours, is eligible to apply for endorsement by the department of health as a school sealant dental assistant upon completion of the Washington state school sealant endorsement program. While otherwise authorized to act, currently employed dental assistants may still elect to apply for the endorsement.

(3) The department may impose a fee for implementation of this section.

(4) The secretary shall provide a report to the legislature by December 1, 2005, evaluating the outcome of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 18.29 RCW to read as follows:

(1) For low-income, rural, and other at-risk populations and in coordination with local public health jurisdictions and local oral health coalitions, a dental hygienist licensed in this state as of the effective date of this act may assess for and apply sealants and apply fluoride varnishes in community-based sealant programs carried out in schools without attending the department's school sealant endorsement program.

(2) 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 and fluoride varnishes in community-based sealant programs carried out in schools.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 18.32 RCW to read as follows:

(1) For low-income, rural, and other at-risk populations and in coordination with local public health jurisdictions and local oral health coalitions, a dental assistant working as of the effective date of this act under the supervision of a licensed dentist may apply sealants and fluoride varnishes under the general supervision of a dentist in community-based sealant programs carried out in schools without attending the department's school sealant endorsement program.

(2) For low-income, rural, and other at-risk populations and in coordination with local public health jurisdictions and local oral health coalitions, dental assistants who are school sealant endorsed under section 2 of this act may apply sealants and fluoride varnishes under the general supervision of a dentist in community-based sealant programs carried out in schools.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.