An Act To Amend the Requirements for Licensure as an Independent Practice Dental Hygienist
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, Maine is experiencing a critical shortage of licensed dentists, especially in rural areas of the State; and
Whereas, this legislation removes a statutory barrier that currently prevents or delays certain dental hygienists from obtaining authority to open independent practices in this State; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §18345, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 429, §21, is amended to read:
(1) If the applicant has a bachelor's degree or higher in dental hygiene from a dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation or its successor organization, verification of 2,000 work hours of clinical practice during the 4 years preceding the application; or
(2) If the applicant has an associate degree in dental hygiene from a dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation or its successor organization, verification of 5,000 work hours of clinical practice during the 6 years preceding the application.
For purposes of meeting the clinical practice requirements of this paragraph, the applicant's hours in a private dental practice or nonprofit setting under the supervision of a dentist may be included as well as the applicant's hours as a public health dental hygienist or, prior to the effective date of this Act July 29, 2016, as a dental hygienist with public health supervision status;
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.