BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2331|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2331
Author: Dababneh (D)
Amended: 6/16/16 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE BUS., PROF. & ECON. DEV. COMMITTEE: 9-0, 6/27/16
AYES: Hill, Bates, Block, Gaines, Galgiani, Hernandez,
Jackson, Mendoza, Wieckowski
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/1/16
AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza, Nielsen
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-0, 6/1/16 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Dentistry: applicants to practice
SOURCE: American Board of Dental Examiners
DIGEST: This bill establishes an alternative clinical and
written examination for dental licensure applicants, requires a
review of this exam by the Office of Professional Examination
Services (OPES).
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Establishes the Dental Board of California (DBC) within the
Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to license and regulate
the practice of dentistry. (Business and Professions Code
(BPC) §§ 1601.1, 1611)
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Page 2
2)Requires the examination of applicants for a license to
practice dentistry to be sufficiently thorough to test the
fitness of the applicant to practice dentistry, and that both
questions and answers are written in the English language.
(BPC § 1630)
3)Requires the DBC to require each dental licensure applicant
to: (BPC § 1632)
a) 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) Successfully complete an examination in California law
and ethics developed and administered by the DBC.
c) Have taken and received a passing score on one of the
following:
i) A portfolio examination of the applicant's
competence to enter the practice of dentistry, conducted
while the applicant is enrolled in a dental school
program at a DBC-approved school in California.
ii) A clinical and written examination administered by
the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB).
4)Requires all DCA boards and bureaus to ensure that every
licensing examination administered by or pursuant to contract
with the board is subject to periodic evaluation. The
evaluation shall include (a) a description of the occupational
analysis serving as the basis for the examination; (b)
sufficient item analysis data to permit a psychometric
evaluation of the items; (c) an assessment of the
appropriateness of prerequisites for admittance to the
examination; and (d) an estimate of the costs and personnel
required to perform these functions. The evaluation shall be
revised and a new evaluation submitted to the Director
whenever, in the judgment of the board, program, or bureau,
there is a substantial change in the examination or the
prerequisites for admittance to the examination. (BPC § 139)
5)States that it is unlawful for a licensing board to require
any examination or establish any other qualification for
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Page 3
licensing that has an adverse impact on any class by virtue of
its race, creed, color, national origin or ancestry, sex,
gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, medical
condition, genetic information, physical disability, mental
disability, or sexual orientation, unless the practice can be
demonstrated to be job related. If an examination or other
qualification for licensing is determined to be unlawful, that
determination shall not void, limit, repeal, or otherwise
affect any right, privilege, status, or responsibility
previously conferred upon any person by the examination or by
a license issued in reliance on the examination or
qualification. (Government Code § 12944)
This bill:
1)Establishes an alternative clinical and written examination
for dental licensure applicants developed by the American
Board of Dental Examiners, Inc (ADEX).
2)Strikes the ability for the WREB to determine the passing
score for its exam.
3)Authorizes the DBC to determine the testing format, as relates
to patients, for the exam developed by ADEX.
4)Requires a review of the exam developed by the ADEX by OPES
prior to its implementation to ensure compliance with current
law and deliver this review to the DBC.
5)Prohibits implementation of the exam if the DCA determines
that the examination process fails to meet specified
standards, does not deliver the review to the DBC, or if ADEX
fails to pay costs and expenses, as specified.
6)Requires the ADEX's examination process to be regularly
reviewed by the DCA and comply with statutory requirements.
7)Requires the ADEX to pay all reasonable costs and expenses the
DBC incurs for the purposes of reviewing the exam.
8)States that the ADEX examination may only be accepted for
licensure by a candidate after it is determined that the
examination has met the requirements of current law, and any
examinations taken prior to that date may not be used for
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Page 4
licensure.
9)Authorizes the Department of Finance to accept funds for the
purposes of reviewing and analyzing the examination developed
by ADEX.
Background
California requires dental applicants to take either a portfolio
examination of the applicant's competence to practice dentistry,
which is offered only by California schools, or a clinical and
written examination administered by WREB. This bill will allow
ADEX to provide funding to the state to have its test validated
and, if determined sufficient, offered as an alternative
clinical and written examination.
ADEX is a nonprofit corporation of the State Boards of Dentistry
focused on the development of a "state of the art, high quality
uniform National dental and dental hygiene clinical licensure
examination for the sole use by States Board of Dentistry." In
a letter to the DBC last year, ADEX wrote, "Dentistry is the
only health profession that does not have a uniform national
licensure examination. ADEX believes that the acceptance of the
ADEX by California will set the cornerstone that will bring to
fruition the goal of a Uniform National Dental Licensure
examination."
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Yes Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Initial costs of about $20,000 for an occupational and
psychometric evaluation of the new examination to ensure that
it complies with the occupational requirements for dentists
and state law regarding non-discrimination (State Dentistry
Fund). DBC will incur a similar cost every seven years to
validate the continuing appropriateness of the examination.
The costs to validate the examination will be reimbursed by
ADEX.
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One-time costs of $90,000 and ongoing costs of $82,000 per
year to develop regulations and to process additional
licensure applications by DBC (State Dentistry Fund). By
providing an additional examination for licensure, the Board
anticipates some growth in the number applicants for licensure
who trained at out-of-state dental schools.
SUPPORT: (Verified8/3/16)
American Board of Dental Examiners (source)
California Dental Association
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/3/16)
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: ADEX writes, "AB 2331 will allow the DBC
to recognize the ADEX PC-CIF exam so that students outside of
California can choose this exam for admission to the state.
This provides these students with an exam option that complies
with the patient-centered guidelines established by industry
leaders."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-0, 6/1/16
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker,
Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke,
Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth
Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto,
Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Roger
Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey,
Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes,
McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte,
O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez,
Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting,
Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Rendon
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gordon
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Prepared by:Sarah Huchel / B., P. & E.D. / (916) 651-4104
8/3/16 19:31:31
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