STAND. COM. REP. NO.179-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2845

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 2845 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTAL LICENSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Board of Dental Examiners to issue three-year temporary licenses to dentists licensed in other states or United States territories to practice under the auspices of safety net dental providers.

Aloha Care, Hoola Lahui Hawaii, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Mobile Care Health Project, Hana Community Health Center, and Kokua Kalihi Valley testified in support of this measure.

The Board of Dental Examiners and several dentists opposed this measure.

Your Committee recognizes that there are many areas in the state that are underserved in dental care. Hawaii has one of the lowest Medicaid dentist participation rates in the nation, which may be a contributing factor. The Dental Samaritan Program started last year by the Hawaii Dental Association is a good start, but there are still many underserved individuals.

 

Your Committee encouraged the Hawaii Dental Association and the Hawaii Primary Care Association to collaborate on issues related to underserved areas of the population and determine how these areas can be better served.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Requiring that dentists approved for the three-year temporary license be a graduate of an accredited dental school;

(2) Providing that the dentist with the temporary license serve only at federally qualified health centers; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2845, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2845, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

____________________________

DENNIS A. ARAKAKI, Chair