BILL ANALYSIS


                                                     C.S.S.B. 378
                                                     By: Moncrief
                                        Health and Human Services
                                                         04-27-95
                                   Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND

Earlier this session, S.B. 18 reestablished the State Board of
Dental Examiners (board).  This bill included certain changes in
the rules relating to licensure of dentists trained in foreign or
nonaccredited schools.  Due to the fact that the board did not
exist for several months, some of these dentists who had started
the application process were unable to complete the process.  When
the board came back into existence, these dentists were still
unable to obtain licensure because the rules had changed.

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.S.B. 378 requires an applicant for a license to
practice dentistry who is a graduate of a foreign or nonaccredited
dental school who fails an examination required by the Texas State
Board of Dental Examiners three times to attend a two-year program
before being allowed to take the examination again.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 2, Article 4545a, V.T.C.S., by adding
Subsection (c), to require an applicant for a license to practice
dentistry who is a graduate of a foreign or nonaccredited dental
school and who fails the qualifying clinical examination required
by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (board) under its
rules three times to attend a two-year program at a dental school
accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the
American Dental Association.  Requires the board to review the two-year programs offered to fulfill the requirements of this
subsection for educational sufficiency.

SECTION 2. Declares that any rule or regulation relating to the
procedures, fees, and requirements for licensing graduates of
foreign or nonaccredited dental schools to practice dentistry in
Texas adopted under Section 2, Article 4544, V.T.C.S., which was
not in effect on August 31, 1994, shall not be effective until
December 1, 1995.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage.
           Effective date of Section 1: December 1, 1995.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.
           Effective date: upon passage.