EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0771*
HOUSE BILL 771
F1 5lr1191
HB 167/24 – W&M
By: Delegate Harrison
Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Student Health – Program for Student Dental Health – Established 2
FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning in a certain school year, certain students to submit 3
a certificate of dental health to their school on a certain schedule; requiring the State 4
Department of Education to support and facilitate each county board of education in 5
publishing certain information on dental health in a certain manner; requiring the 6
Maryland Department of Health to establish a program for student dental health; 7
requiring the Department to develop a certificate of dental health for use in public 8
schools; and generally relating to a program for student dental health. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Education 11
Section 7–402.1 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Education 16
Section 4–111.2 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
BY adding to 20
Article – Health – General 21 2 HOUSE BILL 771
Section 20–2302 to be under the amended subtitle “Subtitle 23. Dental Health 1
Programs” 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 4
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 5
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 6
Article – Education 7
7–402.1. 8
BEGINNING IN THE 2027–2028 SCHOOL YEAR , EACH STUDENT ENROLLE D IN A 9
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN THE STATE SHALL SUBMIT TO THE 10
SCHOOL A CERTIFICATE OF DENTAL HEALTH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRAM 11
FOR STUDENT DENTAL H EALTH ESTABLISHED UN DER § 20–2302 OF THE HEALTH – 12
GENERAL ARTICLE, ON A SCHEDULE ESTABL ISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT . 13
4–111.2. 14
The Department shall: 15
(1) Support and facilitate oral health education, including oral disease 16
prevention and dental health promotion, in every county; 17
(2) Develop a process to monitor implementation of oral health education; 18
[and] 19
(3) SUPPORT AND FACILITAT E EACH COUNTY BOARD IN PUBLISHING 20
INFORMATION ON STUDE NT DENTAL HEALTH THA T IS CREATED BY THE PROGRAM 21
FOR STUDENT DENTAL H EALTH UNDER § 20–2302 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL 22
ARTICLE ON THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM ’S WEBSITE AND IN STU DENT HANDBOOKS ; 23
AND 24
[(3)] (4) On or before December 1, 2015, and every 5 years thereafter, 25
submit to the Governor and, subject to § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the 26
General Assembly a summary of the information reported by the Department to the State 27
Superintendent during the certification of the Health Education State Curriculum. 28
Article – Health – General 29
Subtitle 23. [Plain Language] Dental HEALTH [Information] PROGRAMS. 30
20–2302. 31
HOUSE BILL 771 3
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH A PROGRAM FOR STUDENT 1
DENTAL HEALTH . 2
(B) THE DEPARTMENT’S PROGRAM SHALL INCL UDE: 3
(1) STANDARDS FOR THE RECOMMENDED PERIODIC DENTAL 4
EXAMINATIONS OF STUD ENTS; AND 5
(2) THE CREATION OF A CER TIFICATE OF DENTAL H EALTH THAT CAN 6
BE USED BY PUBLIC SC HOOLS IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 7–402.1 OF THE EDUCATION 7
ARTICLE; 8
(3) THE CREATION OF A STA NDARD FORM TO BE USE D BY HEALTH 9
CARE PRACTITIONERS , PARENTS, AND SCHOOLS TO CERTI FY A STUDENT’S DENTAL 10
HEALTH; AND 11
(4) INFORMATION FOR STUDE NTS AND PARENTS ON : 12
(I) HOW TO FIND INSURANCE THAT WILL COVER DENT AL 13
HEALTH CARE; 14
(II) LISTS OF PEDIATRIC DE NTISTS LOCATED IN AREAS 15
DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE STATE; AND 16
(III) THE IMPORTANCE OF DEN TAL HEALTH TO A STUD ENT’S 17
OVERALL HEALTH AND W ELL–BEING. 18
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL IMPL EMENT ITS PROGRAM ON A SCHEDULE 19
THAT ALLOWS EACH STUDENT TO SUBMIT A CERTIFIC ATE OF DENTAL HEALTH TO 20
THE STUDENT ’S PUBLIC SCHOOL BEGI NNING IN THE 2027–2028 SCHOOL YEAR , IN 21
ACCORDANCE WITH § 7–402.1 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE. 22
(D) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT THIS 23
SECTION. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2025. 26