2022 Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Act 159 - DENTAL LAW - GENERAL POWERS OF THE STATE BOARD OF DENTISTRY
Session of 2022
No. 2022-159
SB 1173
AN ACT
Amending the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.216, No.76), entitled "An act relating to dentistry; defining and providing for the licensing and registration of dentists and dental hygienists, and for the revocation and suspension of such licenses and registrations, subject to appeal, and for their reinstatement; defining the powers and duties of the State Dental Council and Examining Board and the Department of Public Instruction; providing penalties; and repealing existing laws," further providing for general powers of the State Board of Dentistry.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 3(j.2) of the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.216, No.76), known as The Dental Law, is amended to read:
Section 3. General Powers of the State Board of Dentistry.--The State Board of Dentistry (hereinafter called the board) shall have the following powers and duties:
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(j.2) (1) To adopt, promulgate and enforce rules and regulations establishing requirements for continuing dental education to be met by persons licensed or certified under this act. The board shall approve sponsors of continuing education courses within one year of the effective date of regulations adopted to enforce this subsection. No credit may be given for courses in office management or practice building. The board may waive all or part of the continuing education requirement to a licensee who shows to the satisfaction of the board that he or she was unable to complete the requirement due to illness, emergency or hardship.
(2) The following requirements shall be satisfactorily completed in accordance with board regulations as a precedent to biennial renewal of a license or certification:
(i) Thirty credit hours for a person licensed to practice dentistry, including an individual licensed to practice dentistry under a restricted faculty license.
(ii) Twenty credit hours for a person licensed to practice dental hygiene. For a public health dental hygiene practitioner, five hours shall be public health-related courses.
(iii) Ten credit hours for a person certified to practice expanded function dental assisting.
(2.1) Up to three hours of volunteer dental, hygiene or dental assisting practice at a clinic or health center, or at an event or program offered by a charitable entity, may be credited toward a licensee or certificate holder's continuing education program under paragraph (2). The clinic, health center or charitable entity must validate the dates and hours of volunteer practice performed by the licensee or certificate holder to the board during the applicable license renewal period.
(3) For the purposes of this subsection, one credit hour shall be defined as one clock hour of instruction.
(4) As used in this subsection, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this paragraph unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Clinic, health center or charitable entity." A clinic, health center or charitable entity for which a licensee or certificate holder provides dental, hygiene or dental assisting services at no cost to patients.
"Volunteer dental, hygiene or dental assisting practice." Uncompensated time spent in the actual delivery of oral health care or in direct support of the delivery of oral health care. The term does not include time spent on administrative duties.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
APPROVED--The 3rd day of November, A.D. 2022.
TOM WOLF
