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Rep. Mary Kathryn Stone urges committee to approve interstate dental compact to expand provider mobility
Summary
Representative Mary Kathryn Stone told the House Health Care Committee that the Dental and Dental Hygienist Compact would streamline licensure across states, ease practitioner mobility and address shortages in Vermont, where 12 of 14 counties report dental workforce gaps.
For the record, Representative Mary Kathryn Stone of Burlington told the House Health Care Committee she was presenting the Dental and Dental Hygienist Compact, an interstate agreement to streamline licensure for dentists and dental hygienists so they can practice across participating states without obtaining multiple licenses.
Stone described the compact as model legislation developed by the Council of State Governments in partnership with the Department of Defense, the American Dental Association and the American Dental Hygienist Association and said the model was finalized in 2023. “States must enact this legislation to join the compact, meaning that you cannot be changing the language,” she said.
Stone told the committee the compact operates on a mutual‑recognition model similar to existing compacts for nurses and physical therapists. Providers who hold an unencumbered license, completed accredited education and required examinations could apply for a compact privilege to practice in other member states, she said.
Stone argued the compact would reduce administrative burdens for regulators, improve practitioner mobility in emergencies, and increase access to care for patients including Medicaid enrollees. “There is a pressing need for workforce expansion evident here in Vermont, where data shows 12 of 14 counties are experiencing a shortage of dental professionals,” she said.
Committee members asked whether the compact separates dentists and hygienists into distinct compacts; Stone replied that she was not aware of separate compacts and that the American Dental Association and the American Dental Hygienist Association had collaborated on the joint model language. No formal action was taken during the hearing.
