Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB492 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0492
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 492
8	8	J1, J2 5lr2354
9	9	CF 5lr2353
10	10	By: Senator McKay
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Finance
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Maryland Commission to Study the Dental Hygienist Shortage – Establishment 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Commission to Study the Dental Hygienist 3
21	21	Shortage; and generally relating to the Maryland Commission to Study the Dental 4
22	22	Hygienist Shortage. 5
23	23
24	24	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
25	25	That: 7
26	26
27	27	(a) There is a Maryland Commission to Study the Dental Hygienist Shortage. 8
28	28
29	29	(b) The purpose of the Commission is to support the State’s efforts to improve the 9
30	30	oral health of Marylanders by ensuring the stability and sustainability of the State’s dental 10
31	31	hygiene workforce. 11
32	32
33	33	(c) The Commission consists of the following members: 12
34	34
35	35	(1) the Secretary of Health, or the Secretary’s designee; 13
36	36
37	37	(2) the Secretary of Higher Education, or the Secretary’s designee; 14
38	38
39	39	(3) one representative of the University of Maryland School of Dental 15
40	40	Hygiene, designated by the Dean of the School; 16
41	41
42	42	(4) one representative of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future 17
43	43	Accountability and Implementation Board, designated by the Chair of the Board; 18
44	44
45	45	(5) one representative of the Maryland Commission for Women, designated 19
46	46	by the Chair of the Commission; 20
47	47	2 SENATE BILL 492
48	48
49	49
50	50	(6) two representatives of the Maryland Association of Community 1
51	51	Colleges, including a representative of a rural community college with a dental hygiene 2
52	52	program, designated by the Executive Director of the Association; 3
53	53
54	54	(7) one representative of the Maryland Dental Hygienists’ Association, 4
55	55	designated by the President of the Association; 5
56	56
57	57	(8) one representative of the Maryland Dental Action Coalition, designated 6
58	58	by the Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition; 7
59	59
60	60	(9) one representative of the Maryland Rural Health Association, 8
61	61	designated by the President of the Association; 9
62	62
63	63	(10) one representative of the Maryland State Dental Association, 10
64	64	designated by the President of the Association; 11
65	65
66	66	(11) one representative of the Jon C. Burr Foundation, designated by the 12
67	67	President of the Foundation; 13
68	68
69	69	(12) one representative of the Job Opportunities Task Force, designated by 14
70	70	the President of the Task Force; and 15
71	71
72	72	(13) the following members, appointed by the Secretary of Health: 16
73	73
74	74	(i) a representative from a school of public health who has expertise 17
75	75	in workforce development; 18
76	76
77	77	(ii) a representative with expertise in education and training for 19
78	78	dental assistants; 20
79	79
80	80	(iii) a representative with expertise in education and training for 21
81	81	community health workers; 22
82	82
83	83	(iv) a representative with expertise in stackable credentials in 23
84	84	nursing education; 24
85	85
86	86	(v) a representative of a federally qualified health center; and 25
87	87
88	88	(vi) a representative from an area health education center. 26
89	89
90	90	(d) The Commission may consult with indivi duals and organizations with 27
91	91	expertise in oral health who are represented on the Commission. 28
92	92
93	93	(e) The Secretary of Health shall designate the chair of the Commission. 29
94	94
95	95	(f) The Maryland Department of Health shall provide staff for the Commission. 30
96	96	SENATE BILL 492 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	(g) A member of the Commission: 1
100	100
101	101	(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Commission; but 2
102	102
103	103	(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 3
104	104	Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 4
105	105
106	106	(h) The Commission shall: 5
107	107
108	108	(1) assess the dental hygienist shortage in the State and the impact of the 6
109	109	shortage on oral health in rural, suburban, and urban communities; and 7
110	110
111	111	(2) study and make recommendations regarding methods to: 8
112	112
113	113	(i) improve the recruitment and retention of dental hygienists in 9
114	114	private practice, community health centers, and public health settings at the statewide 10
115	115	level; 11
116	116
117	117	(ii) develop region–specific recruitment and retention strategies for 12
118	118	dental hygienists in rural, suburban, and urban areas of the State; 13
119	119
120	120	(iii) expand dental hygiene education opportunities at institutions of 14
121	121	higher education; 15
122	122
123	123	(iv) increase retention of dental hygiene students through 16
124	124	educational support and wraparound services; and 17
125	125
126	126	(v) support dental assistants and community health workers in 18
127	127	accessing dental hygiene educational opportunities. 19
128	128
129	129	(i) (1) On or before December 1, 2025, the Commission shall submit an interim 20
130	130	report of its findings and recommendations to the Maryland Department of Health, the 21
131	131	Maryland Higher Education Commission, and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State 22
132	132	Government Article, the General Assembly. 23
133	133
134	134	(2) On or before December 1, 2026, the Commission shall submit a final 24
135	135	report on its findings and recommendations to the Maryland Department of Health, the 25
136	136	Maryland Higher Education Commission, and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State 26
137	137	Government Article, the General Assembly. 27
138	138
139	139	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 28
140	140	1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and, at the end of June 30, 2027, 29
141	141	this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 30
142	142	of no further force and effect. 31