EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING 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.
*sb0456*
SENATE BILL 456
F2, J2, J5 5lr3126
CF HB 265
By: Senator McKay Senators McKay and Augustine
Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment and Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 25, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Dental Services – Qualification for Maryland Dent–Care Program and Study on 2
Use of Dental Online Credentialing 3
FOR the purpose of altering the eligibility criteria for Higher Education Loan Assistance 4
Grants under the Maryland Dent–Care Program; requiring the Maryland Insurance 5
Administration to submit a report to certain committees of the General Assembly on 6
the use of online credentialing systems by dental insurance carriers; and generally 7
relating to dental services. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Education 10
Section 18–101(a) and (c) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Education 15
Section 18–2404, 18–2405, and 18–2406 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Education 21 2 SENATE BILL 456
18–101. 1
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 2
(c) “Office” means the Office of Student Financial Assistance. 3
18–2404. 4
Each applicant for a Higher Education Loan Assistance Grant under this subtitle 5
shall: 6
(1) Be licensed to practice in Maryland by the State Board of Dental 7
Examiners; 8
(2) Demonstrate financial need; 9
(3) Be employed full time OR PART TIME as a dentist or dental hygienist; 10
(4) Agree that at least 30% of the patients treated by the dentist or in the 11
practice in which the dental hygienist works each year for a 3–year period in a private 12
practice or clinical setting will be Maryland Medical Assistance Program recipients; and 13
(5) Meet any other criteria established by the Office. 14
18–2405. 15
(a) The Office, on notification by the Maryland Department of Health, may award 16
Higher Education Loan Assistance Grants. 17
(b) The Office, in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Health, shall 18
adopt regulations to determine: 19
(1) The maximum number of participants in the Program each year; 20
(2) The maximum number of total participants in the Program; and 21
(3) Subject to subsection (c) of this section, the minimum and maximum 22
amount of a Higher Education Loan Assistance Grant awarded under this subtitle. 23
(c) (1) On or after October 1, 2023, the amount of a Higher Education Loan 24
Assistance Grant awarded under subsection (a) of this section: 25
(i) Shall be at least $50,000 per year for 3 years for a dentist; and 26
(ii) May not exceed $10,000 per year for 2 years for a dental 27
hygienist. 28 SENATE BILL 456 3
(2) The Office, in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Health, 1
shall periodically evaluate the minimum and maximum grant amounts determined under 2
subsection (b)(3) of this section. 3
(3) THE OFFICE, IN COLLABORATION WIT H THE MARYLAND 4
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL ESTABLISH PROR ATED HIGHER EDUCATION 5
LOAN ASSISTANCE GRANT AMOUNTS FOR PAR T–TIME DENTISTS AND PA RT–TIME 6
DENTAL HYGIENISTS . 7
18–2406. 8
Each recipient of a Higher Education Loan Assistance Grant under this subtitle may 9
hold the grant for up to 3 years if the recipient: 10
(1) Continues to be employed full time OR PART TIME as a dentist or 11
dental hygienist; and 12
(2) Continues to treat Maryland Medical Assistance Program recipients as 13
at least 30% of all patients treated: 14
(i) By the dentist in a private practice or clinical setting authorized 15
under the Program; or 16
(ii) In the private practice or clinical setting in which the dental 17
hygienist works. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before December 1, 19
2025, the Maryland Insurance Administration shall: 20
(1) study whether dental insurance carriers are using an online 21
credentialing system, as defined in § 15–112 of the Insurance Article, to process uniform 22
credentialing forms; and 23
(2) report its findings and recommendations to the Senate Finance 24
Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee, in accordance 25
with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, including any recommendations to expand 26
utilization of an online credentialing system to process uniform credentialing forms among 27
dental insurance carriers. 28
SECTION 3. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 29
July 1, 2025. 30