Committee reviews multiple health regulations; EMS reciprocity broadened and dental-hygienist supervision clarified

The Committee on Health Services reviewed a set of administrative regulations and heard staff clarifications on several items, including emergency medical services reciprocity and dental-hygienist licensure.

Representative Callaway asked about a provision in a proposed EMS regulation (cited in committee as 202 KAR 007:330) that appeared to expand licensure reciprocity from contiguous states to any state. Eddie Sloan, executive director of the Kentucky Board of EMS, confirmed the proposed language would allow applicants in good standing from any state that uses the National Registry test to apply for Kentucky licensure in lieu of compact membership. Counsel John Wood said the change reflected a prior amendment to statute KRS 311A.142 that had removed the contiguous-states limitation.

Representative Callaway also asked about a dental regulation (identified in the summary as 008610) affecting dental-hygienist licensure and the supervision required for administering local anesthetic. Committee staff summarized the change as clarifying that dental hygienists administering local anesthetic must do so under the direct supervision of a dentist and that the amendatory language updated reinstatement fees and credential pathways (applicants can meet licensure by completing required clinical exams or U.S. credentialing). No agency representative appeared to provide additional detail on the dental regulation during the meeting.

The committee considered the remaining regulations reviewed by the Administrative Regulations Committee as "considered reviewed" with no further action, aside from the specific items the members raised for clarification and the separate deferrals of the behavioral-health regulations described elsewhere in committee business.