‘Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Project for Independent Practice Dental Hygienists To Process Radiographs in Underserved Areas of the State’
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. Pilot project for underserved areas of the State. Resolved: That the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Board of Dental Examiners shall establish a 2-year pilot project to allow a licensed independent practice dental hygienist to expose and process radiographs under protocols developed by the Board of Dental Examiners within areas of the State that have been designated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as dental health professional shortage areas.
The Board of Dental Examiners shall adopt rules to implement the pilot project under this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. The rules for the pilot project must require that an independent practice dental hygienist have a written agreement with a licensed dentist providing that the dentist will be available to interpret all dental radiographs within 21 days from the date the radiograph is taken and that the dentist will sign a radiographic review and findings form.
The Board of Dental Examiners shall provide a report by January 15, 2013 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic development matters regarding the status of the pilot project and its ability to improve access to dental health services in federally designated dental health professional shortage areas and recommendations for the continuance, discontinuance or modification of the pilot project.
The pilot project terminates March 15, 2014; and be it further
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. Resolved: That the following appropriations and allocations are made.
PROFESSIONAL AND FINANCIAL REGULATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Dental Examiners - Board of 0384
Initiative: Allocates funds for the costs associated with establishing and administering a 2-year pilot project to allow a licensed independent practice dental hygienist to expose and process radiographs under protocols developed by the Board of Dental Examiners.
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
|
All Other
|
$3,700 | $1,200 |
 |
|
|
| OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL | $3,700 | $1,200 |
SUMMARY
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. It replaces the bill with a resolve that requires that the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Board of Dental Examiners establish a 2-year pilot project to allow a licensed independent practice dental hygienist to expose and process radiographs under protocols developed by the Board of Dental Examiners within areas of the State that have been designated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as dental health professional shortage areas. The rules for the pilot project must require that the independent practice dental hygienist have an agreement in writing to have a licensed dentist available to interpret all dental radiographs within 21 days from the date a radiograph is taken and for the dentist to sign a radiographic review and findings form. It requires the Board of Dental Examiners to provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic development matters regarding the status of the pilot project and its ability to improve access to dental health services in federally designated dental health professional shortage areas and recommendations for continuance, discontinuance or modification of the pilot project. It also terminates the project March 15, 2014. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)