BILL NUMBER: AB 851	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Logue

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2013

   An act to add Section 1625.6 to the Business and Professions Code,
relating to healing arts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 851, as introduced, Logue. Dentistry: licensure and
certification requirements: military experience.
   Existing law establishes the Dental Board of California within the
Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties
relating to the licensing, certification, and regulation of the
dental profession.
   This bill would require the board, upon the presentation of
evidence by an applicant for licensure or certification, to accept
education, training, and practical experience completed by an
applicant in military service toward the qualifications and
requirements to receive a license or certificate if that education,
training, or experience is equivalent to the standards of the board.
If a board accredits or otherwise approves schools offering
educational course credit for meeting licensing and certification
qualifications and requirements, the bill would, not later than July
1, 2014, require those schools seeking accreditation or approval to
have procedures in place to evaluate an applicant's military
education, training, and practical experience toward the completion
of an educational program that would qualify a person to apply for
licensure or certification, as specified.
   Under existing law, the Department of Veterans Affairs has
specified powers and duties relating to various programs serving
veterans.
   This bill would, require the Department of Veterans Affairs to
provide technical assistance to the board and to the director of
consumer affairs with respect to complying with the bill's
requirements and obtaining specified funds to support compliance with
these provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the
Veterans Dental Care Workforce Act of 2012.
  SEC. 2.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) Lack of dental care providers continues to be a significant
barrier to access to health care services in medically underserved
urban and rural areas of California.
   (2) Veterans of the United States Armed Forces and the California
National Guard gain invaluable education, training, and practical
experience through their military service.
   (3) According to the federal Department of Defense, as of June
2011, one million veterans were unemployed nationally and the jobless
rate for post-9/11 veterans was 13.3 percent, with young male
veterans 18 to 24 years of age experiencing an unemployment rate of
21.9 percent.
   (4) According to the federal Department of Defense, during the
2011 federal fiscal year, 16,777 service members who separated from
active duty listed California as their state of residence.
   (5) It is critical, both to veterans seeking to transition to
civilian dental care professions and to patients living in
underserved urban and rural areas of California, that the Legislature
ensure that veteran applicants for licensure by the Dental Board of
California are expedited through the qualifications and requirements
process.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that the Dental
Board of California and schools offering educational course credit
for meeting licensing qualifications and requirements fully and
expeditiously recognize and provide credit for an applicant's
military education, training, and practical experience.
  SEC. 3.  Section 1625.6 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   1625.6.  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Dental Board of California pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with
Section 1600) of this division shall, upon the presentation of
satisfactory evidence by an applicant for licensure, accept the
education, training, and practical experience completed by the
applicant as a member of the United States Armed Forces or Military
Reserves of the United States, the national guard of any state, the
military reserves of any state, or the naval militia of any state,
toward the qualifications and requirements for licensure by the board
unless the board determines that the education, training, or
practical experience is not substantially equivalent to the standards
of the board.
   (b) By July 1, 2014, if the board under Chapter 4 (commencing with
Section 1600) accredits or otherwise approves schools offering
educational course credit for meeting licensing qualifications and
requirements, the board shall require a school seeking accreditation
or approval to have procedures in place to fully accept an applicant'
s military education, training, and practical experience toward the
completion of an educational program that would qualify a person to
apply for licensure.
   (c) The board shall adopt regulations, if necessary, to implement
this section by July 1 2014. If the board determines that regulations
are not necessary to implement this section, it shall report to the
Legislature and Governor, no later than July 1, 2014, explaining why
the regulations are not necessary.
   (d) With respect to complying with the requirements of this
section including the determination of equivalency between the
education, training, or practical experience of an applicant and the
board's standards, and obtaining state, federal, or private funds to
support compliance with this section, the Department of Veterans
Affairs shall provide technical assistance to the board and to the
director.
   (e) No later than January 1, 2016, the director shall report to
the Legislature and the Governor on the progress of the board toward
compliance with this section.