STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3147

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2584

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2584, S.D. 1, 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 establish minimum requirements for dental assistants in Hawaii, including:

(1) Requiring an individual hired as a dental assistant on or after July 1, 2021, to hold CPR certification and complete a two-semester program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation;

(2) Requiring all dental assistants employed as of July 1, 2020, to obtain CPR certification by July 1, 2021;

(3) Requiring an individual employed as a dental assistant for less than five years as of July 1, 2020, to provide proof of enrollment in a two-semester program accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation;

(4) Exempting an individual employed as a dental assistant for at least five years as of July 1, 2020, from the education requirements for dental assistants; provided that the individual has no history of complaints filed with the Board of Dentistry; and

(5) Clarifying the allowable and prohibited practices of dental assistants.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Dental Hygienists' Association. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Board of Dentistry and the Hawaii Dental Association.

Your Committee finds that the proper standardization and regulation of dental assistants is necessary to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the State's citizens. This measure establishes minimum requirements for dental assistants in Hawaii and lays out the allowable and prohibited practices of dental assistants.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of June 18, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2584, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2584, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair