Licensed Dentists from Mexico Pilot Program.

The bill was reformatted from a numbered-line legislative document format to a plain web display format. Line numbers, page headers/footers, and column layout were removed. Website navigation elements (search, version history dropdown, share links) were added around the same bill text.

The entire Section 1 containing legislative findings and declarations (documenting dental shortages, demographic data, and program rationale) was removed. The bill now proceeds directly to the operative provisions.

The concept of a 'cohort' (licenses issued as one group with same issuance and expiration dates) was removed, along with the 24-month replacement window and the cap of 5 replacements. The board now simply fills vacancies from an alternate list without those constraints.

Program administration shifted from representatives of Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas to the Dental Board of California. Applicants now submit applications directly to the board on a board-prescribed form, rather than through program administrators who verified and forwarded applications.

Employment requirement changed from 'shall only be employed' to 'may only be employed' by a federally qualified health center, softening the mandatory language. The FQHC quality assurance requirement was narrowed from 'medical dental quality assurance protocols' to just 'dental quality assurance protocols.'

Eligibility criteria were simplified: the alternative pathway of 5,000 hours of clinical practice (verified by Asociacion Dental Mexicana) was removed, making graduation from an accredited dental program mandatory. Fingerprint, criminal history, and foreign license history requirements were removed from the eligibility criteria list.

A new operative date provision was added: the section becomes operative six months after the board receives written confirmation that the costs for administering the program have been secured.

The evaluation process was restructured: instead of being conducted by a board-approved dental school selected by program administrators, it can now be conducted by either (A) a California dental school paired with UNAM or another approved foreign dental school, or (B) an independent consultant selected by the Director of Consumer Affairs.

The detailed breakdown of fees paid by FQHCs (application fee of $905, fingerprint costs, certification fees, CURES registration) was removed. The license and CURES fee is now stated as a single amount of $1,002. Program administration costs remain fully funded by philanthropic foundations.

License status language was simplified from 'active, unrestricted, and good standing' to just 'good standing.' The infection control requirement now references subdivision (b) of Section 1755 specifically. The term 'Prosthodontics' in the clinical competency list was changed to 'Removal prosthodontics.'

A new pre-practice requirement that participants must pass the ADEX Dental Examination, in addition to the existing infection control course and California Dental Law and Ethics Examination.

The orientation program is significantly expanded to include courses taught by an instructor affiliated with a CODA-accredited California dental school covering pharmacology, oral pathology, clinical applications, biomedical sciences, clinical history management, special patient care, sedation techniques, and infection control guidelines, plus introductions to California health care systems and community clinic operations.

The dental school that conducts secondary peer reviews must now be accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), not merely approved by the board.

The requirement that participants complete eight hours of infection control continuing dental education within three months of receiving a license and at least two hours per year thereafter appears to have been removed.

The licensing fee is restructured: the license fee becomes the lesser of $957 or the reasonable regulatory costs of administering the program, while the CSUR fee remains $1,002 but is now separately specified as paid pursuant to Section 208.

The three-year license period commencement is clarified with two scenarios: if the visa exception does not apply, it begins on the date the board issues the license; if the visa exception applies, it begins on the date the board issues its notification that the participant may practice.

A new legislative intent provision states the board should implement the program within six months of receiving at least $200,000 in philanthropic funds for administration.

The board may now terminate a license if a participant is denied a visa, in addition to the existing ground of failing to provide a social security number within 10 days of receipt.

The program evaluation body is narrowed: the old version allowed either the National Autonomous University of Mexico or a foreign dental school approved by the board; the new version limits it to the National Autonomous University of Mexico only.

New provisions express legislative intent that the board administer the program without adopting regulations, but authorize emergency regulations (capped at 18 months) if the board determines they are necessary, with an extended 180-day period for submission to the Office of Administrative Law.

A new Section 1 containing 14 subsections of legislative findings was added, documenting dental shortage data (532 DHPSAs serving 2.7 million Californians as of December 2024), the low percentage of Latino dentists (4% in 1996), and the lack of cultural/linguistic competency training at UC dental schools.

Program administration was transferred from representatives of the National Autonomous University of Mexico to representatives from Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, with a detailed list of duties including recruiting, vetting, selecting health centers, and working with both governments on visas.

A cohort structure was introduced: all 30 licenses must be issued as one cohort with identical issuance and expiration dates. No more than 5 replacements are permitted, and no new three-year license may be issued after 24 months from the initial cohort issuance date.

Pre-practice training was expanded from a single 8-hour infection control course to three required courses (8-hour infection control, 2-hour Dental Practice Act, 2-hour Schedule II opioid prescribing) plus current basic life support certification from an approved provider.

The program evaluation was simplified from two options (a joint California/Mexico dental school team OR an independent consultant) to a single option: a board-approved dental school selected by the program administrators.

The educational requirement was changed from a mandatory accredited dental degree to an either/or standard: applicants may qualify with either a recent diploma from an accredited program OR verification of at least 5,000 hours of full-time active clinical practice within the preceding five years.

New application requirements were added including fingerprint/Live Scan criminal history checks, certified criminal history reports from any foreign country where the applicant resided in the past seven years, license history records from other jurisdictions, and board review of any disciplinary action within seven years.

The application fee was changed from $1,002 paid by the applicant to $905 paid by the employing federally qualified health center. The FQHC must also pay for fingerprints, certification/notarizing/copying fees, and CURES registration fees. Evaluation funding was expanded from philanthropic foundations alone to include private donors.

An annual reporting requirement was added: each year the employing facility must submit written documentation to the board verifying the participant's employment status, hours worked per week, and the name/address/contact of each location where services are provided.

Disciplinary provisions were strengthened: the license is now subject to discipline for any violation of the Business and Professions Code division without requiring Administrative Procedure Act adjudication, and the board must immediately revoke a license if the participant is found practicing outside an authorized facility. The board must also send disciplinary notices to program administrators.

Federally qualified health centers employing participants must now comply with board requests for information about the participant's practice and produce documentation of completed peer reviews. Peer review records transmitted to the dental school must have personally identifiable patient information redacted.

Participants must now pass the California Dental Law and Ethics Examination before engaging in the practice of dentistry, in addition to completing an eight-hour infection control course.

A new provision states that a license issued under this article shall not carry any designation that the participant is a participant in the program, meaning pilot participants will hold standard-looking dental licenses without a visible marker of their program status.

The orientation program component 'Medical ethics' was changed to 'Dental law and ethics,' and 'The California medical delivery system' was changed to 'The California dental delivery system,' reflecting the dental-specific nature of the program.

If a participant fails to provide an individual taxpayer identification number or social security number within 10 days of receiving it, the board's response changed from mandatory revocation ('shall revoke') to discretionary termination ('may terminate').

The English language proficiency scoring requirements were cleaned up: TOEFL minimum changed from '85 percent or the percent' (a drafting error) to '85 percent,' and the Occupational English Test requirement was clarified to 'a minimum of 350.'

The bill's section numbering was reorganized: the old version had a separate 'SECTION 1' for findings followed by 'SEC. 2' and 'SEC. 3' for the operative provisions, while the new version consolidates to 'SEC. 2' (repeal) and 'SEC. 3' (new article), with the findings section renumbered accordingly.

The infection control continuing education requirement was changed from 'infection disease continuing medical education courses' to 'infection control continuing dental education courses.'

The board is now limited to accepting 30 participating dentists in the pilot program, capping the program's size.

The board must maintain an alternate list of program applicants and select from that list to fill any vacancy created when a participant leaves for any reason.