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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE CAPITOL
TDHA continues to advocate down at the Capitol for House Bill (HB) 1803. Passage of this bill allows dentists and dental hygienists to work in multi-state practice under a dental compact agreement, rather than obtaining individual licenses in every state. HB 1803 is authored by the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), and TDHA is actively supporting it.
A dental compact is a legally binding agreement. When a licensee is practicing under a compact, they must abide by all Texas laws, rules and regulations. They are still regulated by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE). TSBDE preserves the authority to control and enforce its scope of practice, which maintains the highest educational and practice standards that are currently in place to protect the public.
Each dental practitioner is required to hold an active, unencumbered license in one of the compact states, pass a FBI background check, pass a national board and clinical assessment exam, graduate from a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) dental or dental hygiene program, complete state jurisprudence requirements, and show verification of licensure and/or completion of any required remote state certification before they are eligible to practice under an interstate dental compact agreement.
In Texas, the passage of HB 1803 will increase access to care and continuity of dental and dental hygiene services for patients. It facilitates practitioner mobility (especially during public health emergencies), supports relocating military families, helps address state workforce and economic needs, and expedite licensing processes by improving licensure portability.
Existing licensure compacts have been successful in reducing barriers for practitioner who wish to provide services in other participating states. National partners supporting HB 1803 include the American Dental Association, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, and other industry stakeholders.
For additional information,
https://compacts.csg.org/compact-updates/dentistry-and-dental-hygiene.
Sandy Tesch, RDH, MSHP
TDHA Legislative Director
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