UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 1 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed AN ACT relating to the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact. 1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2 SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 313 IS CREATED TO 3 READ AS FOLLOWS: 4 Section 1. PURPOSE. 5 This Compact shall be known as the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure 6 Compact and the purpose of the Compact is to expedite licensure and increase access 7 to dental health care through licensure boards acting in cooperation. The Compact 8 adopts the existing structures most utilized by dental boards across the United States, 9 while ensuring the safety of the public through the sharing of documents and 10 information. This Compact ensures that each state retains the right to impose an 11 adverse action on a licensee as a home state or as a practicing state. Each state has an 12 opportunity to share investigations and information with the home state of licensure. 13 The Compact is operated by state dental board members, administrators, and other 14 staff, thus allowing for each state to maintain its sovereignty. The Compact: 15 (a) Allows for expedited licensure portability and ease of movement of licensees 16 between states; 17 (b) Allows each state to continue to regulate the practice of dentistry and dental 18 hygiene within its borders; 19 (c) Creates a common goal of protecting the public by ensuring a uniform licensure 20 standard and sharing of information in the Compact; 21 (d) Allows for licensure in every participating state by requiring passage of the 22 uniform licensure examination that assesses psychomotor and cognitive dental 23 skills and is currently accepted in fifty (50) state licensing jurisdictions and 24 United States territories; 25 (e) Gives licensees one (1) location to maintain professional documentation to 26 expedite license transfers in states, hospitals, or institutional credentialing; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 2 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (f) Facilitates a faster licensure process for relocation or separation of military 1 members and their dependent spouses; there are no compact fees for military 2 members or their spouses; 3 (g) Alleviates a duplicative process for licensure among multiple states; and 4 (h) Saves applicants money by not having to obtain duplicate documents from a 5 source that charges for the documents. 6 Section 2. DEFINITIONS 7 As used in this compact, and except as otherwise provided, the following definitions 8 shall apply: 9 (a) "AADB" means the American Association of Dental Boards (AADB) or its 10 named successor, formerly known as the American Association of Dental 11 Examiners (AADE), originally chartered on September 10, 1896, and renewed in 12 1944, comprised of state dental boards in the United States and its territories; 13 (b) "Attorneys’ Committee" means the committee of attorneys who currently 14 represent a member state dental board. The Attorneys’ Committee shall designate 15 one (1) of its members to participate in the commission as a nonvoting member. 16 An attorney that has previously served as an attorney for a member state dental 17 board may be invited on a year-to-year basis to serve on the Attorneys’ Committee 18 if they have not engaged in an official case against a state dental board or have 19 any other conflict of interest. The Attorneys’ Committee may assist the 20 investigators in working through joint investigation issues between states; 21 (c) "Active duty military person or spouse" means a licensee in full-time active-duty 22 status in the active uniformed services of the United States, including members of 23 the National Guard and Reserves. The legal spouse of the military member must 24 be recognized by the military unit as a dependent while the service member is on 25 active duty. Spouses shall receive the same privileges as military members for the 26 purpose of this Compact; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 3 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (d) "Active investigation" means an active investigation potentially resulting in 1 formal allegations or charges precipitating a judicial process by a state dental 2 board, oversight agency, or other law enforcement entity; 3 (e) "Adverse action" means an order issued by a state dental board or reported to the 4 clearinghouse pursuant to the commission’s bylaws and rules that disciplines a 5 licensee. Adverse action includes, and is not limited to, the suspension, limiting, 6 or revocation of a license or compact license privilege; the imposition of fees and 7 sanctions; and any temporary emergency order that may be later withdrawn by a 8 board; 9 (f) "ADEX examination" means the initial licensure examinations developed by the 10 American Board of Dental Examiners, Inc. or its successor; 11 (g) "Bylaws" means the bylaws passed by the commission or its named successor 12 commission; 13 (h) "Clearinghouse" means the clearinghouse and databank that houses prior 14 adverse action documentations, orders and denials of licensure or permits from 15 state dental boards that is administered by the AADB or its successor; 16 (i) "CODA" means the Commission on Dental Accreditation or its successor as 17 approved by the United States Department of Education; 18 (j) "Commission" means the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Compact 19 Licensure Commission created pursuant to Section 3 of this Compact. 20 (k) "Commissioners" means the two (2) members chosen by each member state 21 dental board to serve as the voting members of the commission; 22 (l) "Compact" means the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact 23 created pursuant to Section 3 of this Compact; 24 (m) "Compact license privilege" means the expedited dental or dental hygiene license 25 to practice in a member state that is not the licensee’s home state; 26 (n) "Conviction" means an adjudication or formal judgment by a court that an 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 4 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed individual is guilty through a plea of guilty or no contest, or a finding of guilt by 1 the court. Evidence of a conviction of a criminal offense by the court shall be 2 considered final for the purposes of considering or imposing disciplinary action 3 by a member state dental board; 4 (o) "Criminal background check" means a criminal background check using the 5 results of fingerprint or other biometric data checks compliant with the 6 requirements of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the exception of 7 federal employees who have suitability determination in accordance with 5 C.F.R. 8 sec. 731.202; 9 (p) "Dental hygienist" means any person who: 10 1. Has successfully graduated from a CODA-approved dental hygiene school; 11 2. Has successfully passed the ADEX dental hygiene licensure examination; 12 or has been in practice five (5) years or more and has successfully passed a 13 regional board examination or equivalent state-administered psychomotor 14 licensure examination prior to January 1, 2024; 15 3. Has successfully passed the written national dental hygiene board 16 examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental 17 Examinations; 18 4. Possesses a full and unrestricted dental hygiene license issued by a member 19 state; 20 5. Has never been convicted or received adjudication, deferred adjudication, 21 community supervision, or deferred disposition for any offense other than 22 traffic offenses by a court of appropriate jurisdiction; 23 6. Has never been a subject of discipline by a licensing agency through any 24 adverse action, order, or other restriction of the licensee by a licensing 25 agency, with the exception of failure to pay fees or failure to complete 26 continuing education; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 5 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed 7. Is not currently under active investigation by a licensing agency or law 1 enforcement authority in any state, federal or foreign jurisdiction; and 2 8. Meets any jurisprudence requirement established by a member state dental 3 board of a member state in which a licensee is seeking a compact license 4 privilege; 5 (q) "Dental practice act" means the laws and regulations governing the practice of 6 dentistry within a member state; 7 (r) "Dentist" means any person who: 8 1. Has successfully graduated from a CODA-approved dental school; 9 2. Has successfully passed the ADEX dental licensure exam; or has been in 10 practice five (5) years or more and has successfully passed a regional board 11 examination or equivalent state-administered psychomotor licensure 12 examination prior to January 1, 2024; 13 3. Has successfully passed the written national dental board exam 14 administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations; 15 4. Possesses a full and unrestricted dental license issued by a member state 16 dental board; 17 5. Has never been convicted or received adjudication, deferred adjudication, 18 community supervision, or deferred disposition for any offense other than 19 traffic offenses by a court of appropriate jurisdiction; 20 6. Has never been a subject of discipline by a licensing agency through any 21 adverse action, order, or other restriction of the licensee by a licensing 22 agency, with the exception of failure to pay fees or failure to complete 23 continuing education; 24 7. Has never had a state or federal drug registration, permit, or license 25 restricted, suspended, or revoked by the United States Drug Enforcement 26 Administration or any licensing agency that oversees scheduled drug 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 6 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed registrations; 1 8. Is not currently under active investigation by a licensing agency or law 2 enforcement authority in any state, federal or foreign jurisdiction; and 3 9. Meets any jurisprudence requirement established by a member state dental 4 board in which a licensee is seeking a compact license privilege; 5 (s) "Home state" means the state of primary licensure of a licensee; 6 (t) "License" means the authorization by a licensing authority for a dentist or dental 7 hygienist to engage in the unrestricted practice of dentistry or dental hygiene, 8 which would be unlawful without such license; 9 (u) "Licensee" means a dentist or dental hygienist who holds an unrestricted license 10 to practice as a dentists or dental hygienist; 11 (v) "Licensing agency" means the agency or other entity of a state that is responsible 12 for the licensing of dentists and dental hygienists. If a member state dental board 13 has such responsibility, it shall be deemed a licensing agency; 14 (w) "Member state dental board" means a state agency in a member state that 15 protects the public through licensure, regulation, and the education of dentists 16 and dental hygienists, as directed by the state law. All actions taken by a member 17 state dental board shall be under the authority of the laws of its state and any 18 other rights conferred under this Compact; 19 (x) "Member state" means a state, the District of Colombia or any other United 20 States territory that has enacted this Compact; 21 (y) "Regional board examination" means initial licensure examinations 22 administered by the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB), the North East 23 Regional Board of Dental Examiners (NERB), the Commission on Dental 24 Competency Assessments (CDCA), Council of Interstate Testing Agencies 25 (CITA), Southern Regional Testing Agency (SRTA), or Central Regional Dental 26 Testing Services (CRDTS) that assess psychomotor skills; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 7 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (z) "Repository" means the repository of original documents of a licensee that may 1 include original transcripts, certification documents, test scores, military training 2 records, previous or current licensing documents and other sources of materials 3 needed for applications and verification administered by the AADB or its 4 successor. The repository shall receive documents from primary or originating 5 sources and/or verify their authenticity; 6 (aa) "Scope of practice" means the dental-related procedures that require a license, 7 permit, or training, to undertake the treatment and procedure to be completed on 8 a patient within the member state’s requirements; 9 (bb) "State" means a state within the United States or a United States territory; and 10 (cc) "State jurisprudence" means the knowledge of a member state’s laws and rules 11 of dentistry and dental hygiene. 12 Section 3. COMPACT AND COMMISSION 13 (a) The member states hereby create the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene 14 Licensure Compact and the commission. Each member state must enact a 15 compact that is not materially different from this Compact, as determined by the 16 commission. 17 (b) Each member state dental board shall have two (2) voting members who shall 18 serve as commissioners. Each commissioner shall have one (1) vote. Member 19 states with separate dental and dental hygiene licensing agencies shall appoint 20 one (1) commissioner from each licensing agency. One (1) commissioner shall be 21 a current member of a member state dental board. Commissioners may not 22 delegate votes or vote by proxy, however, if a commissioner is unable to attend, 23 the member state may substitute a commissioner who meets the same 24 requirements. 25 (c) Upon five (5) states joining the Compact, the Compact shall become active. The 26 commission shall adopt bylaws upon becoming active. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 8 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (d) The commission shall meet at least once per calendar year, the annual meeting 1 and at additional times as necessary pursuant to the bylaws and rules. 2 (e) At each annual meeting, the commission shall elect a chair, vice chair, secretary, 3 and treasurer from the membership of the commission, as the officers. The 4 officers shall be members of the commission’s executive committee. The 5 commission shall also elect representatives from four (4) regional districts 6 established by the commission to serve on the executive committee. All officers 7 and executive committee representatives shall serve one (1) year terms. 8 (f) Quorum for purposes of conducting business shall be a majority of 9 commissioners attending in person or virtually. 10 (g) The commission shall provide notice of all meetings on its website and in other 11 communications to member state dental boards. 12 (h) A vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the commissioners present shall be required for an 13 executive session to discuss: 14 (1) Items specifically related to participation in a lawsuit or in anticipation of a 15 legal proceeding; 16 (2) Matters specifically exempted from disclosure by federal statute; 17 (3) Information or matters involving law enforcement agencies or information 18 that accuses a person of a crime or a public censure; 19 (4) Discussions that would include information of a personal nature that would 20 constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; 21 (5) Anything considered internal practices and procedures or a trade secret; 22 (6) Other items described in the commission bylaws allowing for executive 23 sessions to be called; or 24 (7) Advice of legal counsel. 25 (i) The commission shall keep minutes and make them available to all member 26 states. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 9 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (j) The commission may establish other committees as needed. 1 (k) The commission shall prepare an annual report that shall be made available to 2 the legislatures and governors of the member states. The annual report shall 3 describe the activities of the commission during the preceding calendar year. 4 Such reports shall also include reports of the annual financial audit and any 5 actions taken by or rules that were adopted by the commission. 6 Section 4. DUTIES OF COMPACT MEMBER STATES 7 (a) Member states shall submit to the clearinghouse all member state dental board 8 actions and other documents and data as determined by the commission. 9 (b) Member states shall notify the commission of any adverse action taken by the 10 member state dental board, any active investigation by the member state dental 11 board, any active investigation involving pending criminal charges, or other 12 circumstance as determined by the commission. 13 (c) Any adverse action, order, restriction or denial of a license or permit on a 14 licensee or compact license privilege holder shall be reported to the clearinghouse 15 by the member state dental board. 16 (d) Member state dental boards may submit to the clearinghouse nonpublic 17 complaints, or disciplinary or investigatory information not required by Section 18 4(c) of this Compact. All investigatory material shall be considered confidential 19 and not part of a public record unless otherwise specifically required by state 20 statute. 21 (e) Members states shall accept continuing education credits as required or 22 recognized by any other member state. 23 (f) Documents in the repository shall be treated by a member state as the equivalent 24 of a primary or original source document for licensure. 25 (g) Member states shall accept a standardized application for a compact license 26 privilege. The standardized application shall be established by the rules enacted 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 10 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed by the commission. 1 (h) Member states may agree to share information regarding ongoing investigations 2 and actions, including joint investigations between states. All investigatory 3 material shall be considered confidential and not part of a public record unless 4 otherwise specifically required by state statute. 5 (i) As part of the Compact enforcement, participating member states may issue 6 subpoenas and seek testimony of witnesses, which subpoenas shall be enforced in 7 other member states and enforced by a court of competent jurisdiction where the 8 witnesses or evidence is located. 9 Section 5. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION 10 (a) The commission shall have the duty and power to: 11 (1) Oversee and maintain the administration of the Compact, including the 12 organizational needs, the financial activities, the hiring of personnel and 13 ongoing activities or needs of the commission; 14 (2) Promulgate bylaws and rules to operate the Compact and the commission; 15 (3) Establish a budget and make expenditures; 16 (4) Have an annual financial audit performed by an independent certified 17 public accounting firm; 18 (5) Issue, upon the request of a member state dental board, advisory opinions 19 concerning the meaning or interpretation of the Compact and its bylaws, 20 rules, and actions; 21 (6) Enforce compliance with Compact provisions, the rules promulgated by the 22 commission, and the bylaws, using all necessary and proper means, 23 including but not limited to the use of judicial process; 24 (7) Hold an annual meeting for the commission where the elections of the 25 executive committee and other issues may be discussed and voted on; 26 (8) Establish personnel policies and programs relating to conflicts of interest, 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 11 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed and the rates of compensation and qualifications of personnel; 1 (9) Accept donations and grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials, and 2 services, and to receive, utilize, and dispose of them in a manner consistent 3 with the conflict of interest policies established by the commission; 4 (10) Report annually to the legislatures and governors of the member state 5 dental boards concerning the activities of the commission during the 6 preceding calendar year. Such reports shall also include reports of annual 7 financial audits, all actions of the commission, rules adopted by the 8 commission, and any recommendations by the commission; and 9 (11) Coordinate education, training and public awareness regarding the 10 Compact, its implementation, and its operation. 11 (b) The executive committee shall have the power to act on behalf of the commission, 12 with the exception of rulemaking, during periods when the commission is not in 13 session. When acting on behalf of the commission, the executive committee shall 14 oversee the administration of the Compact, including enforcement of and 15 compliance with the Compact. 16 (c) The officers and employees of the commission shall be immune from suit and 17 liability, either personally or in their official capacity, for a claim for damage to 18 or loss of property or personal injury or other civil liability caused or arising out 19 of, or relating to, an actual or alleged act, error or omission that occurred, or that 20 such person had a reasonable basis for believing occurred, within the scope of 21 commission employment, duties or responsibilities; provided, that such person 22 shall not be protected from suit or liability for damage, loss, injury or liability 23 caused by the intentional or willful and wanton misconduct of such person. 24 (d) The liability of the executive director and employees of the commission or 25 representatives of the commission, acting within the scope of such person's 26 employment or duties for acts, errors or omissions occurring within such person's 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 12 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed state may not exceed the limits of liability set forth under the constitution and 1 laws of that state for state officials, employees, and agents. The commission shall 2 be considered to be an instrumentality of the states for the purposes of any such 3 action. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to protect such person from 4 suit or liability for damage, loss, injury, or liability caused by the intentional or 5 willful and wanton misconduct of such person. 6 (e) The commission shall defend the commission’s executive director, its employees, 7 and, subject to the approval of the attorney general or other appropriate legal 8 counsel of the member state represented by a commission representative, shall 9 defend such commission representative in any civil action seeking to impose 10 liability arising out of an actual or alleged act, error or omission that occurred 11 within the scope of commission employment, duties or responsibilities, or that the 12 defendant had a reasonable basis for believing occurred within the scope of 13 commission employment, duties or responsibilities, provided that the actual or 14 alleged act, error or omission did not result from intentional or willful and 15 wanton misconduct on the part of such person. 16 (f) To the extent not covered by the state involved, member state, or the commission, 17 the representatives or employees of the commission shall be held harmless by the 18 commission in the amount of a settlement or judgment, including attorney's fees 19 and costs, obtained against such persons arising out of an actual or alleged act, 20 error or omission that occurred within the scope of commission employment, 21 duties or responsibilities, or that such persons had a reasonable basis for 22 believing occurred within the scope of commission employment, duties, or 23 responsibilities, provided that the actual or alleged act, error or omission did not 24 result from intentional or willful and wanton misconduct on the part of such 25 persons. 26 Section 6. APPLICATION, ELIGIBILITY, AND ISSUANCE OF COMPACT 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 13 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed LICENSE PRIVILEGE TO A MEMBER STATE 1 (a) A dentist or dental hygienist applying for compact license privileges shall meet 2 the requirements of a dentist as listed in Section (2)(r) of this Compact or a dental 3 hygienist as listed in Section (2)(p) of this Compact and hold a current license in 4 a member state under this Compact. 5 (b) Each dentist or dental hygienist shall designate a home state of licensure. The 6 home state shall be determined by: 7 (1) The state of primary residence for the dentist or dental hygienist, where 8 twenty-five percent (25%) of their practice within one (1) year occurs. An 9 active duty military member or their spouse may choose a home state as 10 designated with the military but are not required to meet the requirement of 11 twenty-five percent (25%) practice being within their home state; or 12 (2) If no state qualifies under Section 6(b)(1) of this Compact, then the state 13 that the dentist or dental hygienist listed as their state of residence on the 14 previous year’s federal tax return. 15 (c) A dentist or dental hygienist may redesignate a home state no more than one (1) 16 time in a calendar year if the qualifications of a home state are met. 17 (d) A dentist or dental hygienist seeking a compact license privilege, the applicant, 18 shall apply to their home state dental board for a letter stating that the applicant 19 is eligible for compact license privileges. 20 (e) The home state dental board shall determine the eligibility of an application for a 21 compact license privilege and shall issue a letter of approval or denial of the 22 application for a compact license privilege. 23 (f) The letter from the applicant’s home state dental board approving the application 24 shall be submitted to the member state dental board for the member state in 25 which the applicant proposes to practice, and shall include: 26 (1) The Compact application packet; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 14 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (2) Authorization to seek access to the applicant’s repository documents; 1 (3) Any additional information that may be required by the proposed compact 2 license privilege state; and 3 (4) Any required fees. 4 The member state dental board shall review the application to confirm 5 compliance with the member state’s laws and regulations. Following such review, 6 if the member state dental board approves the application, it shall issue a compact 7 license privilege from the proposed member state to the applicant. 8 (g) Appeals of a denial of a compact license privilege application shall be filed with 9 the member state dental board making such determination, and shall be filed 10 within thirty (30) days of the days of the denial. 11 (h) A licensee holding a compact license privilege shall notify the commission within 12 ten (10) business days of any adverse action taken against a license held in a state 13 that is not a member state. 14 (i) A compact license privilege may be revoked, suspended, or limited by the issuing 15 member state dental board if at any time the licensee’s home state license is 16 revoked, suspended, or limited. 17 (j) The commission shall issue rules on the duration of a compact license privilege, 18 the application and renewal process for a compact license privilege, and any 19 application fees. 20 (k) Eligibility or ineligibility to receive a compact license privilege shall not limit the 21 ability of a licensee to seek a state license through the regular process outside of 22 the Compact. 23 Section 7. JURISDICTION OVER COMPACT LICENSE PRIVILEGE HOLDERS 24 (a) Each licensee holding a compact license privilege shall be subject to and comply 25 with the laws and regulations of the member state in which such licensee 26 practices under a compact license privilege. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 15 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (b) Each licensee holding a compact license privilege shall be subject to the 1 jurisdiction and authority of the member state dental board of the state in which 2 such licensee practices, as if they held a license issued from such member state 3 dental board. Such compact license privilege holder shall be deemed a licensee of 4 the member state dental board for purposes of such board taking an adverse 5 action. 6 (c) Each licensee holding a compact license privilege shall list a current address with 7 the commission that shall serve as their official address of service. 8 (d) A licensee holding a compact license privilege may have an adverse action taken 9 against them by: 10 (1) The member state dental board of the member state in which they are 11 practicing with a compact license privilege; 12 (2) The licensee’s home state; or 13 (3) The state licensing authority of a state that is not a member state from 14 which the licensee holds a license. 15 (e) A home state may take an adverse action against the holder of a compact license 16 privilege, regardless of where the actions giving rise to the adverse action 17 occurred. 18 (f) Any member state in which the compact licensee holds a compact license 19 privilege may investigate an allegation of a violation of the laws and rules of the 20 practice of dentistry or dental hygiene in any other state where the compact 21 licensee holds a compact license privilege. 22 Section 8. FEES AND MILITARY WAIVER 23 (a) The commission shall issue rules regarding the use of the repository by each 24 holder of a compact license privilege. 25 (b) A member state dental board issuing a compact license privilege authorizing 26 practice in its state may impose a fee for a compact license privilege, for either 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 16 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed initial issuance or any renewal. 1 (c) No compact fee shall be required of any active duty military member or their 2 spouse up to one (1) year after separation from the service. Each member state 3 issuing a compact license privilege may waive fees for active duty military 4 members and their spouse as required by each individual state statute. 5 (d) Active duty military may transfer military training records to the repository 6 without a fee. 7 Section 9. JOINT INVESTIGATIONS AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS 8 (a) Each member state shall name a point of contact for joint investigations between 9 member state dental boards. 10 (b) Member state dental boards may participate with other member state dental 11 boards in joint investigations of licensees that are subject to this compact. 12 (c) Member state dental boards may share investigative, litigation or other materials 13 in furtherance of any joint or individual investigation of a compact license 14 privilege holder. 15 (d) A subpoena issued by a member state or member state dental board shall be 16 enforceable in other member states as allowed by law. 17 (e) If a compact license privilege holder has an adverse action taken against them by 18 any member state dental board, the compact license privilege holder, licensee 19 shall automatically be subject to similar discipline by other member state dental 20 boards. 21 (f) If a compact license privilege holder has an adverse action taken against their 22 home state license, including being revoked, surrendered, or relinquished in lieu 23 of discipline or suspended, then automatically all other compact license privileges 24 shall be placed in the same status. The home state dental board shall notify the 25 commission and the commission shall issue a notice to all member state dental 26 boards of such adverse action. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 17 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (g) If discipline or an adverse action is taken against a compact license privilege 1 holder in a member state, the member state board shall notify the commission 2 and the home state of the compact license privilege holder. The home state may 3 deem the action conclusive as a matter of law and fact and may: 4 (1) Impose the same or lesser sanction consistent with the home state’s laws; or 5 (2) Pursue separate actions against the compact license privilege holder under 6 its laws, regardless of the sanctions pursued by the member state dental 7 board. 8 Section 10. OTHER REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION FROM THE REPOSITORY 9 AND THE CLEARINGHOUSE 10 (a) Insurance companies and entities verifying documents for the purpose of licenses 11 extended to a dentist or dental hygienist may seek information from the 12 clearinghouse for public record documents; 13 (b) A dentist or dental hygienist may submit a request to the commission to allow any 14 hiring employer, entity, or insurance company to access documents from the 15 repository for the purposes of credentialing, licensing, or other privileges. 16 (c) The commission shall set a fee schedule for these services. 17 Section 11. RULEMAKING FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION 18 (a) The commission shall promulgate reasonable rules in order to effectively and 19 efficiently implement and achieve the purposes and administration of the 20 Compact. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the commission exercises 21 its rulemaking authority in a manner that is beyond the scope of the purposes of 22 the Compact or the powers granted hereunder, then such an action by the 23 commission may be determined to be invalid and have no force or effect. 24 (b) Rules validly issued by the commission shall have the force of law in each 25 member state. 26 (c) Rules deemed appropriate for the operations of the commission shall be made 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 18 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed pursuant to a rulemaking process that substantially conforms to the Model State 1 Administrative Procedure Act of 2010, and subsequent amendments thereto. 2 Section 12. OVERSIGHT OF THE COMPACT 3 (a) The executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government in each 4 member state shall enforce the Compact and shall take all actions necessary and 5 appropriate to effectuate the Compact's purposes and intent to allow for expedited 6 licensure for the purpose of mobility. The provisions of the Compact and the 7 rules promulgated hereunder shall have standing as statutory law but shall not 8 override existing state authority to regulate the practice of dentistry and dental 9 hygiene. 10 (b) All courts may take judicial notice of the Compact and the rules in any judicial or 11 administrative proceeding in a member state pertaining to the subject matter of 12 the Compact which may affect the powers, responsibilities, or actions of the 13 commission. 14 (c) The commission shall be entitled to receive all service of process in any such 15 proceeding and shall have standing to intervene in the proceeding for all 16 purposes. Except where the commission has intervened, failure to provide service 17 of process to the commission shall render a judgment or order void as to the 18 commission, the Compact or promulgated rules. 19 Section 13. ENFORCEMENT AND DEFAULT PROCEDURES 20 (a) The commission, in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, shall enforce the 21 provisions and rules of the Compact. 22 (b) The grounds for default under this Compact by a member state include, but are 23 not limited to, failure of a member state to perform such obligations or 24 responsibilities imposed upon it by the Compact or by the rules and bylaws of the 25 commission promulgated under the Compact. 26 (c) If the commission determines that a member state has defaulted in the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 19 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed performance of its obligations or responsibilities under the Compact, or the 1 bylaws or promulgated rules, the commission shall: 2 (1) Provide written notice to the defaulting state and other member states of the 3 nature of the default, the means of curing the default and any action taken 4 by the commission. The commission shall specify the conditions by which 5 the defaulting state must cure its default; and 6 (2) Provide remedial training and specific technical assistance regarding the 7 default. 8 (d) If the defaulting state fails to cure the default, the defaulting state shall be 9 terminated from the Compact upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the 10 commissioners and all rights, privileges and benefits conferred by the Compact 11 shall terminate on the effective date of termination. A cure of the default does not 12 relieve the offending state of obligations or liabilities incurred during the period 13 of the default. 14 (e) Termination of membership in the Compact shall be imposed only after all other 15 means of securing compliance have been exhausted. Notice of intent to terminate 16 shall be given by the commission to the governor, the majority and minority 17 leaders of the defaulting state's legislature and each of the member states. 18 (f) The commission shall establish rules and procedures to address licensees and 19 compact license privilege holders that are materially impacted by the termination 20 of a member state or the withdrawal of a member state. 21 (g) The commission shall not bear any costs relating to any state that has been found 22 to be in default or which has been terminated from the Compact, unless otherwise 23 mutually agreed upon in writing between the commission and the defaulting 24 state. 25 (h) The defaulting state may appeal the action of the commission by petitioning the 26 state court where the commission has its principal offices. The prevailing party 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 20 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed shall be awarded all costs of such litigation, including reasonable attorney's fees. 1 (i) The commission shall not bear any costs relating to any state that has been found 2 to be in default or which has been terminated from the Compact, unless otherwise 3 mutually agreed upon in writing between the commission and the defaulting 4 state. 5 (j) The remedies herein shall not be the exclusive remedies of the commission. The 6 commission may avail itself of any other remedies available under state law or the 7 regulation of a profession. 8 Section 14. DISPUTE RESOLUTION 9 (a) The commission shall attempt, upon the request of a member state dental board, 10 to resolve disputes which are subject to the compact and which may arise among 11 member state dental boards. 12 (b) The commission shall promulgate rules providing for both mediation and 13 voluntary binding dispute resolution, as appropriate. 14 Section 15. MEMBER STATES, EFFECTIVE DATE AND AMENDMENT 15 (a) Any state is eligible to become a member state of the Compact. 16 (b) The Compact shall become effective and binding upon legislative enactment of 17 the Compact into law by no less than five (5) states. Thereafter, it shall become 18 effective and binding on a state upon enactment of the Compact into law by that 19 state. 20 (c) The governors of nonmember states, or their designees, shall be invited to 21 participate in the activities of the commission on a nonvoting basis prior to 22 adoption of the Compact by all states. 23 (d) The commission may propose amendments to the Compact for enactment by the 24 member states. No amendment shall become effective and binding upon the 25 commission and the member states unless and until it is enacted into law by 26 unanimous consent of the member states. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 21 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed Section 16. WITHDRAWAL 1 (a) Once effective, the Compact shall continue in force and remain binding upon 2 each and every member state; provided, however, that a member state may 3 withdraw from the Compact after giving appropriate notice by specifically 4 repealing the statute which enacted the Compact into law. 5 (b) The licensee’s compact license privilege shall remain in effect for six (6) months 6 from the date of the member state dental board withdrawal. 7 (c) The withdrawing state shall immediately notify the chairperson of the 8 commission in writing upon the introduction of legislation repealing the Compact 9 by the withdrawing state, and upon the enactment of such legislation. 10 (d) The commission shall notify the other member states within sixty (60) days of its 11 receipt of notice provided under Section 16(c) of this Compact. 12 (e) Reinstatement following withdrawal of a member state shall occur upon the 13 withdrawing state reenacting the Compact or upon such later date as determined 14 by the commission. 15 (f) The commission shall issue rules to address the impact of the withdrawal of a 16 member state on licenses granted by other member states to dentists and dental 17 hygienists who designated the withdrawing member state as their home state. 18 Section 17. DISSOLUTION 19 (a) The Compact shall dissolve effective upon the date of the withdrawal or default of 20 the member state which reduces the membership in the Compact to one (1) 21 member state. 22 (b) Upon the dissolution of the Compact, the Compact shall become null and void 23 and shall be of no further force or effect, and the business and affairs of the 24 commission shall be concluded and surplus funds shall be distributed in 25 accordance with the bylaws. 26 Section 18. SEVERABILITY AND CONSTRUCTION 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1803 Page 22 of 22 XXXX 2/18/2025 11:52 AM Jacketed (a) The provisions of the Compact shall be severable, and if any phrase, clause, 1 sentence, or provision is deemed unenforceable, the remaining provisions of the 2 Compact shall be enforceable. 3 (b) The provisions of the Compact shall be liberally construed to effectuate its 4 purposes. 5 Section 19. BINDING EFFECT OF COMPACT AND OTHER LAWS 6 (a) Nothing herein prevents the enforcement of any other law of a member state that 7 is not inconsistent with the Compact. 8 (b) All lawful actions of the commission, including all rules and bylaws promulgated 9 by the commission, shall be binding upon the member states. 10 (c) All agreements between the commission and the member states shall be binding 11 in accordance with their terms. 12 (d) In the event any provision of the Compact exceeds the constitutional limits 13 imposed on the legislature of any member state, such provision shall be 14 ineffective to the extent of the conflict with the constitutional provision in 15 question in that member state. 16 Section 20. RULES OF ORDER 17 The most current edition of the American Institute of Parliamentarians Standard Code 18 of Parliamentary Procedure shall be used for all meetings of the commission, 19 including its committees, in those situations not otherwise covered in the bylaws. 20