Dental hygienists.

(1) Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of dental hygienists by the Dental Hygiene Committee of California, which is comprised of 9 members appointed by the Governor, within the jurisdiction of the Dental Board of California. Existing law repeals the committee and its authority to appoint an executive officer on January 1, 2019, at which time the committee is subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. This bill would remove the Dental Hygiene Committee from the jurisdiction of the Dental Board of California and continue the Dental Hygiene Committee of California by creating the Dental Hygiene Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The bill would change the manner of appointment of the hygiene board by requiring one public member to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and one public member to be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly rather than the Governor. The bill would extend the repeal date of the hygiene board and related appointment provisions to January 1, 2023. (2) Existing law requires an applicant for licensure as a registered dental hygienist to furnish electronic fingerprint images. This bill would require an out-of-state applicant or a specified licensee to instead furnish a hardcopy of fingerprint cards if electronic fingerprint images are not available or shared in the applicant's or licensee's state of residence. (3) Existing law authorizes the committee to condition dental hygienist licensure renewal on a licensee's submission of assurances that he or she will complete specified continuing education if the committee makes a specified determination. This bill would delete the requirement that the committee make a determination and would require the hygiene board to conduct random audits of licensees to ensure compliance with the continuing education requirements. (4) Existing law requires the committee to grant initial licensure as a registered dental hygienist to a person who satisfies specified requirements, including satisfactory performance on the state clinical examination or satisfactory completion of the dental hygiene examination given by the Western Regional Examining Board, or any other clinical dental hygiene examination approved by the committee. This bill would instead require, within the preceding 2 years, satisfactory completion of the dental hygiene examination given by the Western Regional Examining Board or any other clinical or dental hygiene examination approved by the hygiene board. (5) Existing law requires the committee to grant approval of educational programs for dental hygienists that meet specified standards and requirements. This bill would require the hygiene board to renew approval of educational programs for dental hygienists that certify to the hygiene board that the program continues to meet the requirements prescribed by the hygiene board, would authorize the hygiene board to conduct periodic surveys, evaluations, and site visits to educational programs, and would authorize the hygiene board to place a noncompliant educational program on probation, issue a citation and fine, or have its approval withdrawn. (6) Existing law requires the committee to establish the amount of fees relating to the licensing of dental hygienists and limits the fee for a site evaluation for dental hygienist educational programs that are not accredited to no more than $2,100. This bill would delete the limit for conducting the site evaluations specified above and would instead specify that the fee to conduct a site visit to educational programs for dental hygienists shall not exceed the actual costs incurred by the hygiene board. The bill would limit the fee for a retired license to 12 of the current license renewal fee. (7) This bill would make other conforming changes. (8) The bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 101 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 1483 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1483 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1680 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 1491 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1491 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.