Committee hears bill to allow contracted dentists to treat inmates

Representative Rudy Beat, sponsor of House Bill 122, told the House Committee on Corrections and Public Institutions that the measure would allow dentists employed by medical corporations that contract with correctional facilities to provide care to inmates.

"We need to just make an exception that those people dentists can work for that corporation that's providing medical care for our prisoners in all of our institutions," Representative Rudy Beat said while presenting the bill. He said the change is needed because current rules limit dentists in correctional work to dentists who own or work directly for dental corporations, non-profits, or independently, and that restriction has contributed to a shortage of providers.

Morgan Shilling, testifying on behalf of Centurion, said the bill is a narrow fix designed to restore dentist availability in correctional settings. "We just need to make a narrow exception for correctional facilities. That's it," Shilling told the committee.

Chair and committee members asked no substantive follow-up questions during the hearing and no witnesses testified in opposition. The committee concluded the hearing and moved on to the next bill. No formal action or vote on House Bill 122 was recorded at this hearing.

The bill sponsor and Centurion framed the change as limited to correctional facilities; the committee did not receive technical legal analysis or written fiscal notes during the hearing. The record shows only a hearing on the measure at this session.