Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate committee hears opposing testimony on bill to change dental complaint process
Summary
Lawmakers heard testimony on House Bill 1512, which would require the North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners to route individual complaints to a complaint committee and to provide complainants a copy of the dentist's written response. The board and dental association opposed the changes, citing patient privacy and investigation efficiency.
Representative Don Vegasaw, the House sponsor, introduced House Bill 1512 to the Senate Workforce Development Committee, saying the bill emerged from a constituent's experience with dental treatment and billing that the constituent estimated ultimately could cost "around a hundred thousand dollars." Vegasaw said the original bill contained three changes the constituent sought but that the enacted House version preserved a narrower change: requiring complaints to be referred to the board's complaint committee and giving the complainant a copy of the dentist's response.
The change to require referral to a complaint committee and to provide a complainant a copy of the dentist's written response drew opposition from the North Dakota State Board of Dental Examiners. David Scheible, executive director of the board, told the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
