Committee advances bill to remove dental boardformal interview step, update testing-agency language
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Summary
The Senate Committee on Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency gave House Bill 2026 a do-pass-amended recommendation, removing an extra formal interview step from Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners procedures and replacing a defunct testing-agency reference.
The Senate Committee on Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency on March 3 voted to give House Bill 2026 a do-pass-amended recommendation after adopting an amendment that updates who may administer an exam for dental hygienist anesthesia certification and removes an extra investigative step for license actions.
Representative Selena Bliss (LD 1), the bill sponsor, said the bill stems from a continuation review and aims to streamline disciplinary procedures at the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners. "Unlike other health care boards ... the dental board has this additional step of a formal interview when investigating a licensee," Bliss said, adding that the extra step "delays the process" and can increase costs and potential public harm.
Committee staff summarized the bill as authorizing the Board of Dental Examiners (Bodex) after an investigation to issue a formal complaint and order a formal hearing if information is sufficient to merit revocation or suspension; where the information is insufficient, Bodex may dismiss the complaint or prescribe disciplinary actions or requirements. Committee staff also noted a chair's amendment that replaces a specific reference to the Western Regional Examining Board with a generic "state or regional testing agency in the United States." "The amendment . . . allows a dental hygienist to administer local anesthetics under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist if the dental hygienist successfully completes an examination in local anesthesia given by a state or regional testing agency," staff said.
Ryan Edmonson, executive director of the dental board, testified in support and confirmed the obsolete reference to the Western Regional Examining Board. "We've been trying to change this statute for . . . the fourth session to get rid of one reference that was left behind," Edmonson said.
The committee adopted the chair's amendment and moved the bill as amended. The roll call produced six ayes, zero nays and one not voting; the committee reported HB 2026 as do pass, amended.
The bill now advances with the statutory cleanup and the testing-agency language change; no further amendments or floor actions were recorded in the committee transcript.
