An Act To Allow Independent Practice Dental Hygienists To Work within Their Scope of Practice
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0230
Committee Amendment CA_A_H319 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" If "to H.P. 183, L.D. 230, Bill, "An Act To Allow 
Independent Practice Dental Hygienists To Work within Their Scope of Practice" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Project for Independent Practice Dental Hygienists To 
Process Radiographs in Underserved Areas of the State' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Pilot project for underserved areas of the State. Resolved: That 
the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Board of Dental Examiners 
shall establish a 2-year pilot project to allow a licensed independent practice dental 
hygienist to expose and process radiographs under protocols developed by the Board of 
Dental Examiners within areas of the State that have been designated by the United States 
Department of Health and Human Services as dental health professional shortage areas. 
The Board of Dental Examiners shall adopt rules to implement the pilot project under 
this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined 
in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. The rules for the 
pilot project must require that an independent practice dental hygienist have a written 
agreement with a licensed dentist providing that the dentist will be available to interpret 
all dental radiographs within 21 days from the date the radiograph is taken and that the 
dentist will sign a radiographic review and findings form. 
The Board of Dental Examiners shall provide a report by January 15, 2013 to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic 
development matters regarding the status of the pilot project and its ability to improve 
access to dental health services in federally designated dental health professional shortage 
areas and recommendations for the continuance, discontinuance or modification of the 
pilot project. 
The pilot project terminates March 15,2014; and be it further 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
"' ... 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 183, L.D. 230 
Sec. 2. 
Appropriations and allocations. Resolved: 
That the following 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
PROFESSIONAL AND FINANCIAL REGULATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
Dental Examiners - Board of 0384 
Initiative: Allocates funds for the costs associated with establishing and administering a 
2-year pilot project to allow a licensed independent practice dental hygienist to expose 
and process radiographs under protocols developed by the Board of Dental Examiners. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2011-12 
$3,700 
$3,700 
2012-13 
$1,200 
$1,200 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. It replaces the bill with a 
resolve that requires that the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Board 
of Dental Examiners establish a 2-year pilot project to allow a licensed independent 
practice dental hygienist to expose and process radiographs under protocols developed by 
the Board of Dental Examiners within areas of the State that have been designated by the 
United States Department of Health and Human Services as dental health professional 
shortage areas. The rules for the pilot project must require that the independent practice 
dental hygienist have an agreement in writing to have a licensed dentist available to 
interpret all dental radiographs within 21 days from the date a radiograph is taken and for 
the dentist to sign a radiographic review and findings form. It requires the Board of 
Dental Examiners to provide a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over economic development matters regarding the status of the pilot 
project and its ability to improve access to dental health services in federally designated 
dental health professional shortage areas and recommendations for continuance, 
discontinuance or modification of the pilot project. It also terminates the project March 
15,2014. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/18/11 frac:.. 
LD 230 
LR 679(02) 
An Act To Allow Independent Practice Dental Hygienists To Work within Their Scope of Practice 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "Ie " 
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2011-12 
$3,700 
FY 2012-13 
$1,200 
Projections 
FY 2013-14 
$0 
Projections 
FY 2014-15 
$0 
The bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations to the Board of Dental Examiners, affiliated with the 
Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, of$3,700 in fiscal year 2011-12 and $1,200 in fiscal year 2012-
for the costs associated with establishing and administering the 2-year pilot project. The board has sufficient funds 
available within its existing resources to support the costs of this legislation. Additional registration revenue collected 
by the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to be minor 
LR0679(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1