Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Act 159 - DENTAL LAW - GENERAL POWERS OF THE STATE BOARD OF DENTISTRY

Session of 2022
No. 2022-159
 
SB 1173
 
AN ACT
 
Amending the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.216, No.76), entitled "An act relating to dentistry;
defining and providing for the licensing and registration of dentists and dental hygienists,
and for the revocation and suspension of such licenses and registrations, subject
to appeal, and for their reinstatement; defining the powers and duties of the State
Dental Council and Examining Board and the Department of Public Instruction; providing
penalties; and repealing existing laws," further providing for general powers of the
State Board of Dentistry.

 
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:
 
Section 1.  Section 3(j.2) of the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.216, No.76), known as The Dental Law,
is amended to read:

Section 3.  General Powers of the State Board of Dentistry.--The State Board of Dentistry (hereinafter
called the board) shall have the following powers and duties:

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(j.2)  (1)  To adopt, promulgate and enforce rules and regulations establishing requirements for
continuing dental education to be met by persons licensed or certified under this
act. The board shall approve sponsors of continuing education courses within one year
of the effective date of regulations adopted to enforce this subsection. No credit
may be given for courses in office management or practice building. The board may
waive all or part of the continuing education requirement to a licensee who shows
to the satisfaction of the board that he or she was unable to complete the requirement
due to illness, emergency or hardship.

(2)  The following requirements shall be satisfactorily completed in accordance with board
regulations as a precedent to biennial renewal of a license or certification:

(i)  Thirty credit hours for a person licensed to practice dentistry, including an individual
licensed to practice dentistry under a restricted faculty license.

(ii)  Twenty credit hours for a person licensed to practice dental hygiene. For a public
health dental hygiene practitioner, five hours shall be public health-related courses.

(iii)  Ten credit hours for a person certified to practice expanded function dental assisting.
(2.1)  Up to three hours of volunteer dental, hygiene or dental assisting practice at a clinic
or health center, or at an event or program offered by a charitable entity, may be
credited toward a licensee or certificate holder's continuing education program under
paragraph (2). The clinic, health center or charitable entity must validate the dates
and hours of volunteer practice performed by the licensee or certificate holder to
the board during the applicable license renewal period.

(3)  For the purposes of this subsection, one credit hour shall be defined as one clock
hour of instruction.

(4)  As used in this subsection, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings
given to them in this paragraph unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Clinic, health center or charitable entity."  A clinic, health center or charitable entity for which a licensee or certificate holder
provides dental, hygiene or dental assisting services at no cost to patients.

"Volunteer dental, hygiene or dental assisting practice."  Uncompensated time spent in the actual delivery of oral health care or in direct support
of the delivery of oral health care. The term does not include time spent on administrative
duties.

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Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.
 
APPROVED--The 3rd day of November, A.D. 2022.
 
TOM WOLF

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes