BILL NUMBER: AB 836	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER  299
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 9, 2013
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 9, 2013
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 19, 2013
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 22, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 18, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 9, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Skinner
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member V. Manuel Pérez)

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2013

   An act to amend Section 1645 of the Business and Professions Code,
relating to dentists.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 836, Skinner. Dentists: continuing education.
   Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure
and regulation of dentists by the Dental Board of California until
January 1, 2016, at which time the board shall be subject to review
by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. Existing law
authorizes the board to require licentiates to complete continuing
education hours as a condition of license renewal. Existing law
authorizes the board to, by regulation, reduce the renewal fee for a
licensee who has practiced dentistry for 20 years or more in this
state, has reached the age of retirement under the federal Social
Security Act, and customarily provides his or her services free of
charge to any person, organization, or agency.
   This bill would prohibit the board from requiring a retired
dentist who provides only uncompensated care to complete more than
60% of the hours of continuing education that are required of other
licensed dentists. The bill would require all of those hours of
continuing education to be gained through courses related to the
actual delivery of dental services to the patient or the community,
as determined by the board. The bill would require the board to
report on the outcome of that provision, pursuant to, and at the time
of, its regular sunset review process.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 1645 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
   1645.  (a) Effective with the 1974 license renewal period, if the
board determines that the public health and safety would be served by
requiring all holders of licenses under this chapter to continue
their education after receiving a license, it may require, as a
condition to the renewal thereof, that they submit assurances
satisfactory to the board that they will, during the succeeding
two-year period, inform themselves of the developments in the
practice of dentistry occurring since the original issuance of their
licenses by pursuing one or more courses of study satisfactory to the
board or by other means deemed equivalent by the board.
   The board shall adopt regulations providing for the suspension of
the licenses at the end of the two-year period until compliance with
the assurances provided for in this section is accomplished.
   (b) The board may also, as a condition of license renewal, require
licentiates to successfully complete a portion of the required
continuing education hours in specific areas adopted in regulations
by the board. The board may prescribe this mandatory coursework
within the general areas of patient care, health and safety, and law
and ethics. The mandatory coursework prescribed by the board shall
not exceed fifteen hours per renewal period for dentists, and seven
and one-half hours per renewal period for dental auxiliaries. Any
mandatory coursework required by the board shall be credited toward
the continuing education requirements established by the board
pursuant to subdivision (a).
   (c) For a retired dentist who provides only uncompensated care,
the board shall not require more than 60 percent of the hours of
continuing education that are required of other licensed dentists.
Notwithstanding subdivision (b), all of the hours of continuing
education as described in this subdivision shall be gained through
courses related to the actual delivery of dental services to the
patient or the community, as determined by the board. Nothing in this
subdivision shall be construed to reduce any requirements imposed by
the board pursuant to subdivision (b).
   (d) The board shall report on the outcome of subdivision (c)
pursuant to, and at the time of, its regular sunset review process,
as provided in Section 1601.1.