BILL NUMBER: AB 403CHAPTERED BILL TEXT CHAPTER 104 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE AUGUST 6, 2009 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR AUGUST 5, 2009 PASSED THE SENATE JUNE 29, 2009 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 4, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 25, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Fuller FEBRUARY 23, 2009 An act to amend Section 1917 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to dental hygienists. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 403, Fuller. Dental hygienists: examinations and licensure. Existing law, operative July 1, 2009, establishes the Dental Hygiene Committee of California in the Dental Board of California, and provides for the licensure and regulation of dental hygienists by the committee. Existing law requires the committee to license as a registered dental hygienist a person who completes an approved educational program, as specified, and who passes a clinical examination prescribed by the committee, an examination in California law and ethics prescribed by the committee, and a national written dental hygiene examination approved by the committee, with specified exemptions. This bill would instead provide that satisfactory performance on the state clinical examination, or satisfactory completion of the dental hygiene examination given by the Western Regional Examining Board or any other clinical dental hygiene examination approved by the Dental Hygiene Committee of California satisfies the clinical examination requirement for licensure as a dental hygienist. The bill would also provide that satisfactory completion of the National Dental Hygiene Board examination satisfies the national testing examination requirement for licensure as a dental hygienist. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 1917 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 1917. The committee shall license as a registered dental hygienist a person who satisfies all of the following requirements: (a) Completion of an educational program for registered dental hygienists, approved by the committee, accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and conducted by a degree-granting, postsecondary institution. (b) Satisfactory performance on the state clinical examination, or satisfactory completion of the dental hygiene examination given by the Western Regional Examining Board or any other clinical dental hygiene examination approved by the committee. (c) Satisfactory completion of the National Dental Hygiene Board examination. (d) Satisfactory completion of the examination in California law and ethics as prescribed by the committee.