S-3852.2  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6382

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State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senators Wood and Thibaudeau

Read first time 01/16/98.  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 certification 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 an approved educational course developed by the secretary of health.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  (1) For targeted populations and in coordination with local public health jurisdictions, dental hygienists who are school sealant endorsed under section 2 of this act may assess for and apply sealants in public and private schools.

    (2) A dental hygienist endorsed under section 2 of this act shall ensure that each patient for whom the dental hygienist applies sealants has the opportunity to be examined by a dentist within twelve months after the application of the sealant.

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, 1999, whichever is sooner.

    (2) The department of health shall report to the legislature by December 1, 2002, on the impact of granting school sealant endorsements to dental hygienists to assess for and apply sealants in public and private schools.

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

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