Posted: | August 8, 2023 10:23 AM |
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From: | Senator Rosemary M. Brown and Sen. Maria Collett |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Dental Screenings by Dental Hygienists |
In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation, similar to House Bill 2332 of 2021-22 legislative session, which will amend the Public School Code to allow school districts to utilize a Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner (PHDHP) to fulfill the requirements of Section 1403 of the Public School Code relating to dental screenings and dental hygiene. The purpose of this legislation is to provide our local school districts more flexibility regarding fulfilling the requirements of Section 1403. Currently, to satisfy this section, a school district may only utilize a school dentist. lncreasingly, school districts are encountering difficulties in hiring dentists to fulfill this requirement. This legislation is supported by the PA Dental Hygienists' Association, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), the PA Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH), the PA School Boards Association (PSBA), the PA School Administrators Association (PASA), The Pennsylvania Department of Health, and Children First PA. Please join us in cosponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as SB1136