Resolve, to Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2209
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services

Legislative Document
No. 2209
H.P. 1488
House of Representatives, February 10, 2026
Resolve, to Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to 
Develop Innovative Models for the Delivery of Dental Services to 
Expand Access to Oral Health Care Throughout the State
Reported by Representative MATHIESON of Kittery for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 107, 
section 8.
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Sec. 1.  Department of Health and Human Services development of models 
for expanded access to dental services.  Resolved:  That, based on the 
recommendation of the Commission to Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Studying 
Alternative Pathways for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry pursuant to Resolve 
2025, chapter 107, the Department of Health and Human Services shall: 
1.  Consider the development of a so-called hub-and-spoke model to expand access to 
dental services throughout the State. In developing the model, the department must include 
as components of the model the dental services provided by the University of New England 
and federally qualified health centers, mobile units and nontraditional dental care practices, 
such as dental care practices that are limited in scope, that provide services in areas where 
the population density is insufficient to support a dental provider setting up a practice; and 
2.  Explore options to establish dental specialist residency programs in the State, 
especially for pediatric dentists, oral surgeons and orthodontists.
Sec. 2.  Stakeholder participation.  Resolved:  That the Department of Health 
and Human Services shall invite the participation of stakeholders to ensure the department 
has the information and expertise necessary to complete the tasks identified in section 1, 
including, but not limited to,  representatives from the University of New England College 
of Dental Medicine, the Maine Public Health Association, the Board of Dental Practice, 
the Maine Dental Association and the Maine Dental Hygienists' Association.
Sec. 3.  Report.  Resolved:  That, no later than February 15, 2027, the Department 
of Health and Human Services shall submit a report that includes its findings and 
recommendations under this resolve, including suggested legislation, to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health coverage, insurance and 
financial services matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over health and human services matters. Each joint standing committee may 
report out legislation to the 133rd Legislature in 2027 based on the report.
SUMMARY
This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, 
Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 107 to implement a 
recommendation from the Commission to Expand Access to Oral Health Care by Studying 
Alternative Pathways for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry.  The joint standing 
committee has not taken a position on the substance of this bill. By reporting this bill out, 
the joint standing committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees 
or disagrees with any aspect of this bill; instead, the joint standing committee is reporting 
the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed that can be referred to a joint 
standing committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the 
normal course. The joint standing committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and 
transparency in the legislative review of the proposals contained in the bill.
Based on the recommendation of the Commission to Expand Access to Oral Health 
Care by Studying Alternative Pathways for Obtaining a License to Practice Dentistry 
pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 107, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human 
Services to consider the development of a hub-and-spoke model to expand access to dental 
services throughout the State and to explore options to establish dental specialist residency 
programs in the State, especially for pediatric dentists, oral surgeons and orthodontists. The 
bill requires the department to invite the participation of stakeholders, including, but not 
limited to, representatives from the University of New England College of Dental 
Medicine, the Maine Public Health Association, the Board of Dental Practice, the Maine 
Dental Association and the Maine Dental Hygienists' Association.  The bill requires the 
department to submit a report that includes its findings and recommendations, including 
suggested legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over health coverage, insurance and financial services matters and the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters 
no later than February 15, 2027 and authorizes each joint standing committee to report out 
legislation to the 133rd Legislature in 2027.