BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 1245 Page 1 SENATE THIRD READING SB 1245 (Lieu) As Introduced February 20, 2014 Majority vote SENATE VOTE :36-0 BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS 13-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Bonilla, Jones, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, | | |Bocanegra, Campos, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian | | |Dickinson, Gordon, | |Calderon, Campos, | | |Hagman, Holden, | |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, | | |Maienschein, Mullin, | |Holden, Jones, Linder, | | |Skinner, Ting, Wilk | |Pan, Quirk, | | | | |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, | | | | |Weber | |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------| | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Extends the operation of the Dental Hygiene Committee of California (DHCC) and extends the appointments of DHCC committee members and DHCC's executive officer until January 1, 2019. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, ongoing costs of about $1.6 million per year, through January 1, 2019, for DHCC's licensing activities, supported by licensing fees (State Dental Hygiene Fund). COMMENTS : 1)Purpose of the bill. This bill extends the operation of the DHCC and the existence of its committee members and executive officer until January 1, 2019. This allows DHCC to continue to operate and continue to regulate dental hygienists to promote and ensure quality oral health care for consumers, and triggers the Legislature to comprehensively review DHCC again in four years. 2)Author's statement. According to the author, this bill "[e]xtends until January 1, 2019, the provisions establishing the [DHCC], and extends the term of the executive officer. SB 1245 Page 2 Unless legislation is carried this year to extend the sunset dates for DHCC, it will be repealed on January 1, 2015." 3)Background of DHCC. In 2002, the Joint Legislative Sunset Review Committee determined that "dental hygienists had reached the point where their responsibilities warranted a regulatory body, separate from [the DBC]." DHCC was created as result of the passage of SB 853 (Perata), Chapter 31, Statutes of 2008. DHCC's purpose is "[t]o permit the full utilization of registered dental hygienists, registered dental hygienists in alternative practice, and registered dental hygienists in extended functions in order to meet the dental care needs of all of the state's citizens," and its mission is "[t]o promote and ensure the highest quality of oral health care for all Californians." DHCC is the only self-regulating dental hygiene agency of its kind in the United States, and has authority over all aspects of the licensing and regulation of dental hygienists, including enforcement and investigation authority and the approval of educational programs that provide the prerequisite education to become a licensed dental hygienist. DHCC also develops and administers written and clinical licensing examinations and conducts occupational analyses of the various professional categories. DHCC is responsible for overseeing 31,804 licensed dental hygienists in the state of California. These dental hygienists include over 31,000 registered dental hygienists, over 500 registered dental hygienists in alternative practice, and roughly 40 registered dental hygienists in extended functions. 4)DHCC Sunset Review. In 2014, the Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee and the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee (Committees) conducted joint oversight hearings to review nine regulatory entities: Bureau of Automotive Repair; Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation; Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE); California Massage Therapy Certification program; California Board of Acupuncture; California Tax Preparers Program; [DHCC]; Professional Fiduciaries Bureau; and Structural Pest Control Board. SB 1245 Page 3 This bill, and other sunset extension bills, are intended to implement legislative changes as recommended by the Committees and which are reflected in the Background Papers prepared by the Committees for each agency and program reviewed for this year. The Committees recommended in DHCC's 2014 Sunset Background Paper, that "the practice of dental hygiene [should] continue to be regulated by the current DHCC in order to protect the interests of the public. The DHCC should be reviewed by the Committees again in four years." The Committees found that "[t]he health, safety and welfare of consumers are protected by a well-regulated dental hygiene profession. Despite a quickly growing profession and the impact of a lack of staff, it appears as if the DHCC has shown a strong commitment to improving efficiency in its operations and protecting the public. The DHCC should be continued with a four-year extension of its sunset date so that the Committees may determine if the issues and recommendations in this paper have been addressed" Analysis Prepared by : Eunie Linden / B., P. & C.P. / (916) 319-3301 FN: 0004775