STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2356

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2700

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2700 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE DENTAL LICENSURE EXAMINATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Board of Dental Examiners the authority to adopt a national dental licensure examination for use in this State. 

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Board of Dental Examiners.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was received from the Hawaii Dental Association.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that the current law requiring passage of the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) examination for licensure as a dentist in the State was originally enacted to allow Hawaii to participate in a standardized national examination process.  However, your Committee also finds that since the ADEX examination was initially adopted, limiting the approved examination to only the ADEX examination has created many difficulties in accessing and administering the examination.  Your Committee further finds that allowing for passage of either the ADEX or the Central Regional Dental Testing Services (CRDTS) national examinations will increase access to the licensure process and will allow more dentists whose competence in the profession has been certified to practice within the State, thereby increasing access to dental services for Hawaii residents.  Finally, your Committee urges the Board of Dental Examiners and the Hawaii Dental Association to work together toward the common goal of increasing access to high-quality dental care in this State. 

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that an applicant may pass either the ADEX or CRDTS dental examinations in order to qualify for licensure in this State; and

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050 to encourage further discussion on this measure. 

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2700, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2700, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair