California Assembly Bill AB648 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 648AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 11, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Low 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  authorize the administrator of the program to, among other things, encourage development and expansion of the delivery of dental health services in community clinics and school programs,   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 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  administrator of the program shall be the dentist appointed   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  program shall do all of the following to facilitate and expand the delivery of community-based dental health services:   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) Facilitate and encourage development and expansion of the delivery of dental health services in schools, head start and preschool programs, and community clinics as set forth in Section 1910.5 of the Business and Professions Code.   (2) Encourage utilization of the teledentistry model described in subdivision (b) of Section 14132.725 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.   (3)   (1)  Develop  related training modules.   training modules and Web-based technical assistance.   (4)   (2)  Establish community-based learning collaboratives.  (5) Provide grants to fund   (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  administrator shall seek to secure   program administrator may seek additional private or public  funds to expand access to the VDH  program that can be used along with other private and public funding opportunities.   program. (e) The VDH program shall be focused on providing needed services in geographic areas of highest need, as determined by the  director after a thorough assessment, and in consultation with the administrator and oral health stakeholders.   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.  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.