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Legislation committee sets board positions on 2025 bills including fluoride coverage and AI advertising restrictions
Summary
The Legislation and Regulatory Committee recommended positions on a package of 2025 bills affecting dental care access and professional practice, including support for AB 350 (fluoride varnish coverage for children through age 21) and an oppose position for AB 873 (infection-control timing changes for unlicensed dental assistants).
The Dental Hygiene Board of California's Legislation and Regulatory Committee reviewed and set recommended board positions March 21, 2025 on multiple pending 2025 bills affecting dental practice, access to care and related regulation.
Positions the committee recommended to the full board included:
- AB 350 (Bonta): Health care coverage for fluoride treatments in primary care settings for children through age 21 — recommended position: SUPPORT. Committee members and public commenters said expanding access to preventive fluoride varnish outside the dental office is likely to increase prevention and reduce decay, while several commenters asked that the measure clarify referral pathways to dental homes so varnish does not substitute for necessary dental assessment.
- AB 341 (Arambula): Establish an oral health for people with disabilities technical assistance center program — recommended position: WATCH (committee asked staff to seek RDHAP inclusion as an amendment or to encourage outreach to the bill sponsor). Committee members discussed whether dental hygiene programs and RDHAPs should be explicitly included in pilot or contract awards alongside dental schools; staff noted the bill as written focuses on contracting with a California dental school but that language may change.
- AB 371 (Haney): Dental access and appointment timelines (urgent/nonurgent) and network access requirements — recommended position: WATCH.
- AB 489 (Banta): Restrictions on AI programs that falsely imply a healing-arts license — recommended position: WATCH. Committee discussed consumer protection concerns and advised clarifying language to state whether a human being, entity or AI product is the subject of restrictions.
- AB 873 (Alanis): Changes to timing for the 8'hour infection control course for unlicensed dental assistants — recommended position: OPPOSE. Committee members and public commenters raised strong concerns about allowing unlicensed staff to provide patient-contact duties before completing the infection-control training; staff noted the bill'language was in flux and that approved training availability is a related issue.
- SB 351 and other measures: WATCH on bills expressing intent to revisit essential health benefit packages and other access-related measures.
The committee asked staff to prepare letters reflecting the board's recommended positions and noted that bill language can change rapidly; staff may return to the board to revise positions if subsequent amendments warrant it. Committee members also requested the sponsor and author contact information be appended to future bill reports when available so staff and stakeholders can coordinate next steps and amendments.
Actions taken: The committee voted to recommend the above positions to the full board; the recommendations were entered into the meeting record and will be forwarded as staff positions and letters to legislative offices or posted during rulemaking or comment processes as appropriate.
