November 15, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Felzkowski, Hutton, James, Marklein, Roys, Spreitzer, Testin and Ballweg, cosponsored by Representatives Plumer, Behnke, Binsfeld, Callahan, Dittrich, Emerson, Goeben, Jacobson, Joers, Mursau, Ohnstad, Oldenburg, Ortiz-Velez, Rozar, Snyder and Tusler. Referred to Committee on Health.
SB689,,22An Act to amend 15.405 (6) (b), 36.61 (1) (b), 36.61 (3) (a), 36.61 (5) (b) 1., 36.61 (8) (c) 3., 146.81 (1) (c), 146.89 (1) (r) 1., 146.89 (1) (r) 5., 146.89 (3) (b) 8., 146.89 (3m) (intro.), 146.997 (1) (d) 3., 155.01 (7), 252.14 (1) (ar) 3., 257.01 (5) (a), 257.01 (5) (b), 440.094 (1) (c) 3., 447.02 (1) (a), 447.02 (1) (b), 447.02 (2) (a), 447.02 (3) (a) (intro.), 447.02 (3) (a) 2., 447.02 (3) (b), 447.02 (5), 447.03 (3) (c), 447.06 (1), 447.06 (2) (a) 3., 447.06 (2) (b), 447.06 (2) (c) (intro.), 447.06 (2) (c) 2. (intro.), 447.063, 447.065, 447.07 (1), 447.07 (3) (intro.), 447.07 (3) (e) to (h), 447.40 (intro.), 447.40 (6), 448.03 (2) (a), 448.975 (2) (c) 1., 450.03 (1) (e), 450.10 (3) (a) 4., 462.02 (2) (d), 462.04, 463.10 (5), 463.12 (5), 632.87 (4), 895.48 (1m) (a) (intro.), 895.48 (1m) (a) 2. and 941.315 (5); and to create 36.61 (1) (ak), 440.03 (13) (b) 20m., 440.08 (2) (a) 25m., 447.01 (6g), 447.01 (6r), 447.02 (1) (g), 447.02 (3) (a) 3., 447.02 (6), 447.03 (1m), 447.03 (3) (am), 447.04 (1m), 447.05 (2m), 447.057, 447.06 (1m), 447.06 (3) and 447.07 (6) of the statutes; relating to: licensure of dental therapists; extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures; providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures; providing an exemption from rule-making procedures; and granting rule-making authority. SB689,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill provides for the licensure of dental therapists, who are health care practitioners who may engage in the limited practice of dentistry.
Under current law, dentists and dental hygienists are licensed by the Dentistry Examining Board to practice dentistry and dental hygiene, respectively. This bill provides for the licensure of a third type of dental practitioner, dental therapists. Under the bill, the board must grant a dental therapist license to an individual who satisfies certain criteria, including completion of a qualifying dental therapy education program and passage of required examinations.
Under the bill, a dental therapy education program qualifies if the program 1) is accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA); 2) is a program approved by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry on or before the bill’s effective date that has, as of the time of application, become CODA-accredited; or 3) is a program offered in Wisconsin that has received initial CODA accreditation but is not yet fully CODA-accredited. With respect to the third category of dental therapy education programs (programs offered in Wisconsin), the bill allows applicants to obtain a license on the basis of graduation from such a program only for four years after the program’s inception, and if the program is not fully CODA-accredited by the time that four-year period has elapsed, the bill requires the licenses of dental therapists who graduated from the program to be revoked.