SRC-CDH H.B. 2255 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 2255
By: Berlanga (Zaffirini)
Health & Human Services
5-13-97
Engrossed


DIGEST 

S.B. 18, 74th Legislative Session, 1995, provided an exception to the
principle that all dental and dental hygiene education programs should be
accredited for foreign program graduates.  This provision was necessary
because foreign programs do not have the opportunity to be accredited by
the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
Critics of this exception argue that the wording in S.B. 18 inadvertently
requires licensure of graduates of domestic unaccredited programs.  H.B.
2255 amends the Dental Practice Act to clarify the reference to foreign
non-accredited programs and to enable more careful review of the
equivalency of such programs to accredited programs.   

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 2255 provides for the licensing of certain dentists and
dental hygienists. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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(a), Article 4545a, V.T.C.S., to require the
State Board of Dental Examiners (board), upon payment by the applicant of
a certain fee, to grant a license to a dentist or dental hygienist who has
graduated from a foreign dental or dental hygiene school that is
recognized by the government of the foreign country as providing
appropriate educational preparation for the practice of dentistry or
dental hygiene if the dentist or dental hygienist meets certain
qualifications and the board determines that the program is the
educational equivalent of a dental or dental hygienist program accredited
by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental
Association (commission).  Deletes existing text requiring the board to
grant a license to a dentist or dental hygienist who has not graduated
from a school accredited by the commission if certain conditions exist.   

SECTION 2. Amends Article 4545a, V.T.C.S., by adding Section 3, as follows:

Sec. 3.  Requires the Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee (advisory
committee) to assist the board in determining the educational equivalency
under Section 2(a) of this article; and to review transcripts, course
descriptions, and other material considered necessary by the board.
Provides that a member of the advisory committee is not liable in a civil
action for any act performed in good faith in the execution of that
member's duty as a committee member. 

SECTION 3. Effective date:  September 1, 1997.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.