PRINTER'S NO. 1534
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1173
Session of
2022
INTRODUCED BY MARTIN, MENSCH, BAKER, HUTCHINSON, FONTANA,
COLLETT AND J. WARD, APRIL 1, 2022
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
APRIL 1, 2022
AN ACT
Amending the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.216, No.76), entitled "An
act relating to dentistry; defining and providing for the
licensing and registration of dentists and dental hygienists,
and for the revocation and suspension of such licenses and
registrations, subject to appeal, and for their
reinstatement; defining the powers and duties of the State
Dental Council and Examining Board and the Department of
Public Instruction; providing penalties; and repealing
existing laws," further providing for general powers of the
State Board of Dentistry.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 3(j.2) of the act of May 1, 1933
(P.L.216, No.76), known as The Dental Law, is amended to read:
Section 3. General Powers of the State Board of Dentistry.--
The State Board of Dentistry (hereinafter called the board)
shall have the following powers and duties:
* * *
(j.2) (1) To adopt, promulgate and enforce rules and
regulations establishing requirements for continuing dental
education to be met by persons licensed or certified under this
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act. The board shall approve sponsors of continuing education
courses within one year of the effective date of regulations
adopted to enforce this subsection. No credit may be given for
courses in office management or practice building. The board may
waive all or part of the continuing education requirement to a
licensee who shows to the satisfaction of the board that he or
she was unable to complete the requirement due to illness,
emergency or hardship.
(2) The following requirements shall be satisfactorily
completed in accordance with board regulations as a precedent to
biennial renewal of a license or certification:
(i) Thirty credit hours for a person licensed to practice
dentistry, including an individual licensed to practice
dentistry under a restricted faculty license.
(ii) Twenty credit hours for a person licensed to practice
dental hygiene. For a public health dental hygiene practitioner,
five hours shall be public health-related courses.
(iii) Ten credit hours for a person certified to practice
expanded function dental assisting.
(2.1) Up to three hours of volunteer dental, hygiene or
dental assisting practice at a clinic or health center, or at an
event or program offered by a charitable entity, may be credited
toward a licensee or certificate holder's continuing education
program under paragraph (2). The clinic, health center or
charitable entity must validate the dates and hours of volunteer
practice performed by the licensee or certificate holder to the
board during the applicable license renewal period.
(3) For the purposes of this subsection, one credit hour
shall be defined as one clock hour of instruction.
(4) As used in this subsection, the following words and
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phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this paragraph
unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Clinic, health center or charitable entity." A clinic,
health center or charitable entity for which a licensee or
certificate holder provides dental, hygiene or dental assisting
services at no cost to patients.
"Volunteer dental, hygiene or dental assisting practice."
Uncompensated time spent in the actual delivery of oral health
care or in direct support of the delivery of oral health care.
The term does not include time spent on administrative duties.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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