Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2331

Introduced by Assembly Member Dababneh

February 18, 2016

An act to amend Section 1632 of, and to add begin delete Section 1632.6 end delete begin insert Sections 1632.55 and 1632.7 end insert to, the Business and Professions Code, relating to begin delete dentistry end delete begin insert dentistry, end insert and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2331, as amended, Dababneh. Dentistry: applicants to practice.

The Dental Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of dentists and associated professions by the Dental Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act requires each applicant for a license to practice dentistry to successfully complete specified examinations, including receiving a passing score on either a portfolio examination, as specified, or a clinical and written examination administered by the Western Regional Examining Board, which determines the passing score for that examination.

This bill would additionally allow an applicant to satisfy that examination requirement by receiving a passing score on an examination developed by the American Board of Dental Examiners, begin delete Inc. end delete begin insert Inc. Patient Centered Curriculum Integrated Dental Examination Format, subject to prior review and approval of the examination by the Office of Professional Examination Services, as provided. end insert

Existing law authorizes the Director of Finance to accept on behalf of the state any gift of real or personal property whenever he or she deems the gift and the terms and conditions thereof to be in the best interest of the state. Existing law establishes the Special Deposit Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, which consists of money that is paid into it in trust pursuant to law when no other fund has been created to receive that money.

This bill would authorize the Director of Finance to accept funds for the purposes of implementing the dental examination developed by the American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc., described above. Because these funds would be deposited in the Special Deposit Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 1632 of the Business and Professions
Code is amended to read:

1632.  

(a) The board shall require each applicant to successfully
complete the Part I and Part II written examinations of the National
Board Dental Examination of the Joint Commission on National
Dental Examinations.

(b) The board shall require each applicant to successfully
complete an examination in California law and ethics developed
and administered by the board. The board shall provide a separate
application for this examination. The board shall ensure that the
law and ethics examination reflects current law and regulations,
and ensure that the examinations are randomized. Applicants shall
submit this application and required fee to the board in order to
take this examination. In addition to the aforementioned
application, the only other requirement for taking this examination
shall be certification from the dean of the qualifying dental school
attended by the applicant that the applicant has graduated, or will
graduate, or is expected to graduate. Applicants who submit
completed applications and certification from the dean at least 15
days prior to a scheduled examination shall be scheduled to take
the examination. Successful results of the examination shall, as
established by board regulation, remain valid for two years from
the date that the applicant is notified of having passed the
examination.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in Section 1632.5, the board
shall require each applicant to have taken and received a passing
score on one of the following:

(1) A portfolio examination of the applicant’s competence to
enter the practice of dentistry. This examination shall be conducted
while the applicant is enrolled in a dental school program at a
board-approved school located in California. This examination
shall utilize uniform standards of clinical experiences and
competencies, as approved by the board pursuant to Section 1632.1.
The applicant shall pass a final assessment of the submitted
portfolio at the end of his or her dental school program. Before
any portfolio assessment may be submitted to the board, the
applicant shall remit the required fee to the board to be deposited
into the State Dentistry Fund, and a letter of good standing signed
by the dean of his or her dental school or his or her delegate stating
that the applicant has graduated or will graduate with no pending
ethical issues.

(A) The portfolio examination shall not be conducted until the
board adopts regulations to carry out this paragraph. The board
shall post notice on its Internet Web site when these regulations
have been adopted.

(B) The board shall also provide written notice to the Legislature
and the Legislative Counsel when these regulations have been
adopted.

(2) A clinical and written examination administered by the
Western Regional Examining Board, or an examination developed
by the American Board of Dental Examiners, begin delete Inc., or its successor
organization, end delete begin insert Inc. Patient Centered Curriculum Integrated Dental
Examination Format, end insert which board shall determine the passing
score for that examination.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 1628, the board
is authorized to do either of the following:

(1) Approve an application for examination from, and to
examine an applicant who is enrolled in, but has not yet graduated
from, a reputable dental school approved by the board.

(2) Accept the results of an examination described in paragraph
(2) of subdivision (c) submitted by an applicant who was enrolled
in, but had not graduated from, a reputable dental school approved
by the board at the time the examination was administered.

In either case, the board shall require the dean of that school or
his or her delegate to furnish satisfactory proof that the applicant
will graduate within one year of the date the examination was
administered or as provided in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c).

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 1632.55 is added to the end insert begin insert Business and
Professions Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 1632.55. end insert   

(a) Prior to implementation of paragraph (2) of
subdivision (c) of Section 1632, the department’s Office of
Professional Examination Services shall review the American
Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. examination to ensure compliance
with the requirements of Section 139 and to certify that the
examination process meets those standards. If the department
determines that the examination process fails to meet those
standards, paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) shall not be
implemented. The review of the American Board of Dental
Examiners, Inc. examination shall be conducted during or after
the Dental Board of California’s occupational.

(b) The American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. examination
process shall be regularly reviewed by the department pursuant
to Section 139.

(c) The American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. examination
shall meet the mandates of subdivision (a) of Section 12944 of the
Government Code.

end insert

begin delete SEC. 2. end delete

begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

Section begin delete 1632.6 end delete begin insert 1632.7 end insert is added to the Business and
Professions Code, to read:

begin delete 1632.6. end delete

begin insert 1632.7. end insert   

The Department of Finance may accept funds pursuant
to Sections 11005.1 and 16302 of the Government Code for the
purposes of implementing the examination developed by the
American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc., as described in
paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 1632.