BILL NUMBER: AB 648	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 29, 2015
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 11, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Low
    (   Coauthor:   Senator   Nguyen
  ) 

                        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 grant 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 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, as
prescribed.  The bill would require the program administrator to
evaluate the grant program's progress toward meeting the objective to
expand the virtual dental home model of the community-based delivery
of dental care and to post the evaluation and a summary of the
evaluation, as specified. 
   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) grant 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 grant program shall be administered by the dentist
appointed to the State Department of Public Health, Oral Health Unit,
by the director pursuant to Section 104755.
   (c) The VDH 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:
   (1) Develop training modules and Web-based technical assistance.
   (2) Establish community-based learning collaboratives.
   (3) Fund essential VDH technology and equipment.
   (4) Develop and fund other services, as determined by the grant
administrator, as required to meet the requirements of this section.
   (d) The program administrator may seek additional private or
public funds to expand access to the VDH program.
   (e) The VDH program shall be focused on providing needed services
in geographic areas of highest need, as determined by the program
administrator.
   (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. 
   (g) The program administrator shall evaluate the grant program's
progress toward meeting the objective to expand the virtual dental
home model of the community-based delivery of dental care to
residents in geographic areas of highest need. Upon completion of the
evaluation, the program administrator shall post the evaluation and
a summary of the evaluation on the State Department of Public Health'
s Internet Web site. 
  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.