STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2555

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2584

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2584 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DENTAL ASSISTANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish minimum requirements for dental assistants; and

(2) Clarify the allowable and prohibited practices by dental assistants.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Dental Hygienists' Association and a petition in support signed by ninety individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Dental Association and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Dentistry.

Your Committee finds that currently, dental assistants are unregulated by the State. Dental assistants are identified under existing state law and administrative rules as unlicensed auxiliary personnel who perform supportive dental procedures under the direct supervision, direction, evaluation, and responsibility of a licensed dentist. However, training for dental assistants is not standardized and is typically limited to on-the-job training. As a result, training for dental assistants varies widely from office to office and dentist to dentist.

Your Committee further finds that a 2018 sunrise analysis performed by the auditor pursuant to section 26H-6 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, determined that several basic tasks routinely performed by dental assistants can and do pose a reasonable risk of injury to patients. Accordingly, this measure establishes allowable and prohibited duties for dental assistants and requires standardized coursework in key areas to promote public health and safety.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2584, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2584, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair