EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0499*
HOUSE BILL 499
J2 4lr2548
CF SB 335
By: Delegate Bagnall
Introduced and read first time: January 24, 2024
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Occupations – Private Dental Offices – Infection Control 2
FOR the purpose of requiring each owner of a private dental office to designate a licensed 3
dentist to be the supervising dentist for the private dental office; requiring a 4
supervising dentist to complete the registration required by the State Board of 5
Dental Examiners and be responsible for all infection control activities within the 6
private dental office; establishing a certain limit on the number of private dental 7
offices that a supervising dentist may supervise; requiring the owner of a private 8
dental office to designate an interim supervising dentist under certain 9
circumstances; authorizing the Board to charge a certain registration fee; and 10
generally relating to infection control in private dental offices. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Health Occupations 13
Section 4–104 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – Health Occupations 18
Section 4–308(l)(1) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23
Article – Health Occupations 24
4–104. 25 2 HOUSE BILL 499
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “PRIVATE DENTAL OFFIC E” HAS THE MEANING 1
STATED IN § 4–308(L)(1) OF THIS TITLE. 2
(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY WITH RESPECT TO PRIVATE DENTAL 3
OFFICES. 4
(C) EACH OWNER OF A PRIVA TE DENTAL OFFICE SHA LL DESIGNATE A 5
LICENSED DENTIST TO BE THE SUPERVISIN G DENTIST FOR THE PR IVATE DENTAL 6
OFFICE. 7
(D) A SUPERVISING DENTIST DESIGNATED UNDER SUB SECTION (C) OF THIS 8
SECTION SHALL : 9
(1) COMPLETE THE REGISTRA TION REQUIRED BY THE BOARD; AND 10
(2) BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AL L INFECTION CONTROL ACTIVITIES 11
WITHIN THE PRIVATE D ENTAL OFFICE, INCLUDING ADHERENCE TO THE CENTERS 12
FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION GUIDELINES FOR INFECTION CONTROL 13
IN DENTAL HEALTH–CARE SETTINGS, OR ITS SUCCESSOR GUI DELINES. 14
(E) A SUPERVISING DENTIST DESIGNATED UNDER SU BSECTION (C) OF THIS 15
SECTION MAY SUPERVIS E NOT MORE THAN THRE E PRIVATE DENTAL OFF ICES THAT 16
ARE WITHIN CLOSE ENO UGH PROXIMITY TO ALL OW FOR PERSONAL OVER SIGHT OF 17
EACH OFFICE, AS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD IN REGULATION . 18
(F) IF A SUPERVISING DENT IST FOR A PRIV ATE DENTAL OFFICE 19
RELINQUISHES THE SUP ERVISING DENTIST ’S RESPONSIBILITY UND ER SUBSECTION 20
(D)(2) OF THIS SECTION FOR ANY REASON, THE OWNER OF THE PRI VATE DENTAL 21
OFFICE SHALL IMMEDIA TELY DESIGNATE AN IN TERIM SUPERVISING DE NTIST WHO 22
SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL INFECTION CONTROL WITHIN THE PRIVATE 23
DENTAL OFFICE UNTIL A NEW SUPERVISING DE NTIST FOR THE PRIVAT E DENTAL 24
OFFICE REGISTERS WIT H THE BOARD. 25
(G) THE BOARD MAY CHARGE A FE E FOR THE REGISTRATI ON OF A 26
SUPERVISING DENTIST UNDER THIS SECTION . 27
4–308. 28
(l) (1) In this subsection, “private dental office” means a dental office owned 29
and operated by: 30
(i) A licensed dentist; or 31
HOUSE BILL 499 3
(ii) A professional corporation, partnership, limited liability 1
company, or limited liability partnership owned and controlled by a licensed dentist. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 3
October 1, 2024. 4