Arizona’s dental therapist bill was revived as a result of the Senate Government Committee’s approval of a “strike everything” amendment, which inserted dental therapist-authorizing language into a previously unrelated bill. The bill, HB 2355, would enable dental therapists to practice under general supervision, with no limitations on where they would have to practice.

HB 2355 is currently pending in the Senate. If you live in Arizona and haven’t already contacted your Senator, please do so by visiting the AGD’s Action Center webpage.

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Following activity at the federal level, such as a February U.S. House of Representatives Committee hearing and a 2015 Department of Labor report, legislation seeking to reform occupational licensing has increasingly been in the spotlight of state legislatures.

In Colorado, SB 18-193 is pending in the Senate, and would require each agency to review
occupational regulations and demonstrate that they address a specific health, safety, or welfare objective.

In Louisiana, HB 748 is currently pending in the Senate. The bill seeks to require the Governor’s office to annually review twenty percent of the state’s occupational licensing regulations every year, and to provide recommendations to the legislature to repeal or amend regulations deemed too restrictive. A similar bill in Nebraska, LB 299, is awaiting the Governor’s approval.

In Georgia, a resolution (HR 744) was enacted, which encourages similar review of the state’s licensing regulations.

In Utah, HB 192 was signed into law in March, 2018, and enables licensing boards to make a recommendation to the legislature concerning proposed amendment to licensing acts.

If you would like more information on legislative matters in your state, or are interested in carrying out advocacy on AGD issues, please contact us at advocacy@agd.org or visit the AGD’s Advocacy webpage.