An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0421
Committee Amendment CA_A_H326 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 309, L.D. 421, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Laws Concerning Licensure Qualifications of Independent Practice Dental 
Hygienists" 
Amend the bill in section 1 in § 1 094-K by striking out all of subsections 1 and 2 
(page 1, lines 7 to 16 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'1. Bachelor's degree and 2,000 hours experience. Possess a bachelor's degree in 
dental hygiene from a dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental 
Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, or its successor organization, and 
document one year or 2,000 work hours of clinical practice in a private dental practice or 
nonprofit dental clinic under direct or general supervision of a dentist during the 2- 1. 
years preceding application; or 
2. Associate degree and 5,000 hours experience. Possess an associate degree in 
dental hygiene from a dental hygiene program accredited by the American Dental 
Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, or its successor organization, and 
document 3 years or 6,000 5,000 work hours of clinical practice in a private dental 
practice or nonprofit dental clinic under direct or general supervision of a dentist during 
the 6 years preceding application.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. It removes the changes to 
the experience requirements for licensure as an independent practice dental hygienist 
proposed in the bill, which allowed an applicant to fulfill the experience requirements 
through work hours in any dental practice setting approved by the Board of Dental 
Examiners, and instead amends the experience requirements to: 
1. Specify that an applicant's degree from a dental hygiene program must be a degree 
in dental hygiene; 
2. With respect to applicants with a bachelor's degree, require that an applicant have 
2,000 work hours of clinical practice, either in a private dental practice or a nonprofit 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT '4" to H.P. 309, LD. 421 
dental clinic under direct or general supervision of a dentist, during the 4 years preceding 
application. Current law requires one year or 2,000 hours of clinical practice in a private 
dental practice during the 2 years preceding application; and 
3. With respect to applicants with an associate degree, require that an applicant have 
5,000 work hours of clinical practice, either in a private dental practice or Ii nonprofit 
dental clinic under direct or general supervision of a dentist, during the 6 years preceding 
application. Current law requires 3 years or 6,000 hours of clinical practice in a private 
dental practice during the 6 years preceding application. 
FISCAL XOT£ RE(JURED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 05/17/09 ;::k?ac:-
LD421 
LR 519(02) 
An Act To Amend the Laws Concerning Licensure Qualifications of Independent Practice Dental 
Hygienists 
Fiscal Note for BiH as Amended by Committee Amendment 4' 
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Minor revenue increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal DetaU and Notes 
Making the experience requirement for licensure as an independent practice dental hygienist less stringent may result 
in an increase in applications to the Board of Dental Examiners, affiliated with the Department of Professional and 
Financial Regulation, increasing the amount of dedicated revenue received by the Board from application and 
licensing fees, The amount of additional dedicated revenue can not be determined at this time but is not expected to 
be significant. 
LR0519(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1