Amended in Senate June 11, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 648

Introduced by Assembly Member Low

February 24, 2015

An act to add Section 104755.5 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to oral health, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 648, as amended, Low. Community-based services: Virtual Dental Home program.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, the administration of a state oral health program known as the Office of Oral Health for the purposes of, among other things, establishing community dental disease prevention programs for schoolaged children.

This bill would establish the Virtual Dental Home begin insert grant end insert program to expand the virtual dental home model of community-based delivery of dental care to the residents of this state who are in greatest need, as prescribed. The bill would begin delete authorize the administrator of the program to, among other things, encourage development and expansion of the delivery of dental health services in community clinics and school programs, end delete begin insert require the program to facilitate, coordinate, and encourage development and expansion of the delivery of dental health services through use of the Virtual Dental Home model by providing grants to, among other things, develop training modules and establish community-based learning collaboratives, end insert as prescribed.

The bill would appropriate $4,000,000 to the department for the purposes of this program.

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 104755.5 is added to the Health and
Safety Code, to read:

104755.5.  

(a) The Virtual Dental Home (VDH) begin insert grant end insert program
is hereby established to expand the virtual dental home model of
community-based delivery of dental care to the residents of this
state who are in greatest need.

(b) The begin delete administrator of the program shall be the dentist
appointed end delete begin insert grant program shall be administered by the dentist
appointed to the State Department of Public Health, Oral Health
Unit, end insert by the director pursuant to Section 104755.

(c) The VDH begin delete program shall do all of the following to facilitate
and expand the delivery of community-based dental health services: end delete
begin insert grant program shall facilitate, coordinate, and encourage
development and expansion of the delivery of dental health services
through the use of the Virtual Dental Home model by providing
grants to do all of the following: end insert

begin delete

(1) Facilitate and encourage development and expansion of the
delivery of dental health services in schools, head start and
preschool programs, and community clinics as set forth in Section
1910.5 of the Business and Professions Code.

(2) Encourage utilization of the teledentistry model described
in subdivision (b) of Section 14132.725 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code.

(3)

end delete

begin insert (1) end insert  Develop begin delete related training modules. end delete begin insert training modules and
Web-based technical assistance. end insert

begin delete

(4)

end delete

begin insert (2) end insert  Establish community-based learning collaboratives.

begin delete

(5) Provide grants to fund

end delete

begin insert (3) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Fund end insert essential VDH technology and equipment.

begin insert

(4) Develop and fund other services, as determined by the grant
administrator, as required to meet the requirements of this section.

end insert

(d) The begin delete administrator shall seek to secure end delete begin insert program administrator
may seek additional private or public end insert funds to expand access to
the VDH begin delete program that can be used along with other private and
public funding opportunities. end delete begin insert program. end insert

(e) The VDH program shall be focused on providing needed
services in geographic areas of highest need, as determined by the
begin delete director after a thorough assessment, and in consultation with the
administrator and oral health stakeholders. end delete begin insert program administrator. end insert

begin insert

(f) The program administrator may grant funds directly to public
and private educational institutions or nonprofit entities as
required to meet the requirements of this section.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

The sum of four million dollars ($4,000,000) is hereby
appropriated from the General Fund to the State Department of
Public Health for the purposes of the Virtual Dental Home (VDH)
program established pursuant to Section 104755.5 of the Health
and Safety Code.