BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 540
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Date of Hearing: August 17, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
SB 540 (Price) - As Amended: August 15, 2011
Policy Committee: Business and
Professions Vote: 9-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill extends the January 1, 2012 sunset date on the Dental
Board of California to January 1, 2016 and makes several changes
related to the board. Specifically, this bill:
1)Adds one public member to the existing membership of the DBC,
expanding the number of board members to 15.
2)Establishes a Dental Assisting Council (Council) of the DBC,
charges the Council with consideration of all matters relating
to dental assistants, and describes its operations and
membership.
3)Requires dental assisting fees to be established by regulation
instead of by DBC resolution.
4)Deletes the current sunset date of July 1, 2012 for the
California Dental Corps Loan Repayment Program of 2002, and
extends the program until all the moneys in the account are
expended.
5)Makes minor changes to examination requirements and diversion
programs, and makes other technical, non-substantive, and
conforming changes.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Approximately $13.5 million (State Dentistry Fund and State
Dental Assistants Fund) annually in regulatory costs will
continue to be incurred as a result of a provision extending
the sunset on the DBC. Under current law, the board's
SB 540
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operations would sunset on January 1, 2012.
2)Annual costs of $90,000 (special fund) associated with
operation of the Dental Assisting Council.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . This bill is a product of an oversight hearing
conducted by the Senate Business, Professions, and Economic
Development committee in March of 2011. The committee
conducted a number of sunset review hearings this year, and
has crafted legislation to implement recommendations that
emerged from these hearings. The author states this bill is
necessary to extend the sunset date of the DBC and continue
the regulation of dentists and other dental practitioners in
California. Additionally, the author points out there is a
need to increase the public membership within the DBC to
assure the public that the professions' interests do not
outweigh what is in the best interest of the public.
2)Background . The DBC was created by the California Legislature
in 1885, and was originally established to regulate dentists.
Today, the DBC is responsible for regulating the practice of
approximately 71,000 licensed dental health professionals in
California, including 35,500 dentists and registered dental
assistants. In addition, DBC is responsible for setting the
duties and functions of approximately 50,000 unlicensed dental
assistants. DBC implements regulatory programs and performs a
variety of functions to protect consumers. These programs and
activities include setting licensure requirements for
dentists, and dental assistants, including examination
requirements, issue and renew licenses, issue special permits,
monitor probationer dentists and RDAs.
DBC currently is composed of 14 members: eight practicing
dentists, two dental auxiliaries (RDH and RDA), and four
public members. This bill would increase the size of the DBC
to 15 by adding one additional public member.
Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081