HB 0657 2003
1	CHAMBER ACTION
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6	The Committee on Health Care recommends the following:
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8	Committee Substitute
9	Remove the entire bill and insert:
10	A bill to be entitled
11	An act relating to dental licensure examinations; amending
12	s. 466.006, F.S.; allowing certain dental students to take
13	the examinations required to practice dentistry in this
14	state under specified conditions; providing a prerequisite
15	to licensure of such students; creating s. 466.0065, F.S.;
16	allowing certain dental students to take regional
17	licensure examinations under specified conditions;
18	restricting the applicability of examination results to
19	licensing in other jurisdictions; requiring approval by
20	the Board of Dentistry and providing prerequisites to such
21	approval; providing an effective date.
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23	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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25	Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 466.006, Florida
26	Statutes, is amended to read:
27	466.006 Examination of dentists.--
28	(2) An applicant shall be entitled to take the
29	examinations required in this section to practice dentistry in
30	this state if the applicant:
31	(a) Is 18 years of age or older.
32	(b)1.Is a graduate of a dental school accredited by the
33	Commission on Accreditation of the American Dental Association
34	or its successor agency, if any, or any other nationally
35	recognized accrediting agency; or.
36	2. Is a dental student in the final year of such an
37	accredited school who has completed all the coursework necessary
38	to prepare him or her to perform the clinical and diagnostic
39	procedures required to pass the examinations. With respect to a
40	dental student in his or her final year of dental school, a
41	passing score on the examinations is valid for 180 days after
42	the date the examinations were completed. A dental school
43	student who takes the licensure examinations during his or her
44	final year of an approved dental school must have graduated
45	before being certified for licensure pursuant to s. 466.011.
46	(c) Has successfully completed the National Board of
47	Dental Examiners dental examination within 10 years beforeof
48	the date of application.
49	Section 2. Section 466.0065, Florida Statutes, is created
50	to read:
51	466.0065 Regional licensure examinations.--
52	(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that schools of
53	dentistry be allowed to offer regional licensure examinations to
54	dental students who are in the final year of an approved dental
55	school for the sole purpose of facilitating the student's
56	licensing in other jurisdictions. This section does not allow a
57	person to be licensed as a dentist in this state without taking
58	the examinations as set forth in s. 466.006, nor does this
59	section mean that regional examinations administered under this
60	section may be substituted for complying with testing
61	requirements under s. 466.006.
62	(2) Each school of dentistry in this state which is
63	accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American
64	Dental Association or its successor agency may, upon written
65	approval by the Board of Dentistry, offer regional licensure
66	examinations only to dental students in the final year of an
67	approved dental school, if the board has approved the hosting
68	school's submitted written plan to comply with the following
69	conditions:
70	(a) The examining body must be a member of the American
71	Association of Dental Examiners.
72	(b) The student must have successfully completed parts I
73	and II of the National Board of Dental Examiners examination
74	within 2 years before taking the regional examination.
75	(c) The student must possess medical malpractice insurance
76	in amounts that the board determines to be sufficient to cover
77	any reasonably foreseeable incident of harm to a patient during
78	the clinical portion of the regional examination.
79	(d) At least one of the examination monitors must be a
80	Florida-licensed dentist who has completed all necessary
81	standardization exercises required by the regional examination
82	body.
83	(e) Adequate arrangements must be made, when necessary,
84	for patients who require followup care as a result of procedures
85	performed during the clinical portion of the regional
86	examination.
87	(f) The board chair or the chair's designee must be
88	allowed to observe testing while it is in progress.
89	(g) Each student, upon applying to take the regional
90	examination, must receive written disclosure in at least 12-
91	point boldface type which states: "This examination does not
92	meet the licensure requirements of chapter 466, Florida
93	Statutes, for licensure in the State of Florida. Persons wishing
94	to practice dentistry in Florida must pass the Florida licensure
95	examinations. For more information on Florida's licensure
96	examination procedures, please contact the Florida Board of
97	Dentistry."
98	(h) The student must be enrolled as a dental student in
99	his or her final year of an approved dental school that is
100	accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American
101	Dental Association or its successor agency.
102	(i) The student must have completed all the coursework
103	necessary to prepare him or her to perform all clinical and
104	diagnostic procedures required to pass the regional examination.
105	(j) The student's academic record must not include any
106	evidence suggesting that the student poses an unreasonable risk
107	to any live patients who are required for the clinical portion
108	of the regional examination. In order to protect the health and
109	safety of the residents of this state, the board may request
110	additional information and documents pertaining to the
111	candidate's mental and physical health in order to fully assess
112	the candidate's fitness to engage in exercises involving a live
113	patient.
114	(3) Neither a student who takes the examination pursuant
115	to this section, nor a dental school submitting a plan pursuant
116	to this section, nor a regional examination body which a dental
117	school proposed to host pursuant to this section has standing to
118	assert that a state agency has taken action for which a hearing
119	may be sought under ss. 120.569 and 120.57.
120	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.