SB3061enr 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB3061 Enrolled LRB096 16656 ASK 31937 b

AN ACT concerning professional regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Dental Practice Act is amended by changing Section 9 and by adding Section 19.2 as follows:

(225 ILCS 25/9) (from Ch. 111, par. 2309)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2016)

Sec. 9. Qualifications of Applicants for Dental Licenses. The Department shall require that each applicant for a license to practice dentistry shall:

(a) (Blank).

(b) Be at least 21 years of age and of good moral character.

(c) (1) Present satisfactory evidence of completion of dental education by graduation from a dental college or school in the United States or Canada approved by the Department. The Department shall not approve any dental college or school which does not require at least (A) 60 semester hours of collegiate credit or the equivalent in acceptable subjects from a college or university before admission, and (B) completion of at least 4 academic years of instruction or the equivalent in an approved dental college or school that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association before graduation; or

(2) Present satisfactory evidence of completion of dental education by graduation from a dental college or school outside the United States or Canada and provide satisfactory evidence that:

(A) (blank);

(B) the applicant has completed a minimum of 2 academic years of general dental clinical training at a dental college or school in the United States or Canada approved by the Department, however, an accredited advanced dental education program approved by the Department of no less than 2 years may be substituted for the 2 academic years of general dental clinical training and an applicant who was enrolled for not less than one year in an approved clinical program prior to January 1, 1993 at an Illinois dental college or school shall be required to complete only that program; and

(C) the applicant has received certification from the dean of an approved dental college or school in the United States or Canada or the program director of an approved advanced dental education program stating that the applicant has achieved the same level of scientific knowledge and clinical competence as required of all graduates of the college, school, or advanced dental education program.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent either the Department or any dental college or school from establishing higher standards than specified in this Act.

(d) (Blank). In determining professional capacity under this Section, any individual who has not been actively engaged in the practice of dentistry, has not been a dental student, or has not been engaged in a formal program of dental education during the 5 years immediately preceding the filing of an application may be required to complete such additional testing, training, or remedial education as the Board may deem necessary in order to establish the applicant's present capacity to practice dentistry with reasonable judgment, skill, and safety.

(e) Present satisfactory evidence that the applicant has passed both parts of the National Board Dental Examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and has successfully completed an examination conducted by one of the following regional testing services: the Central Regional Dental Testing Service, Inc. (CRDTS), the Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc. (SRTA), the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB), or the North East Regional Board (NERB). For purposes of this Section, successful completion shall mean that the applicant has achieved a minimum passing score as determined by the applicable regional testing service. (f) The Secretary of the Department may suspend a regional testing service under this subsection (e) of this Section if, after proper notice and hearing, it is established that (i) the integrity of the examination has been breached so as to make future test results unreliable or (ii) the test is fundamentally deficient in testing clinical competency.

In determining professional capacity under this Section, any individual who has not been actively engaged in the practice of dentistry, has not been a dental student, or has not been engaged in a formal program of dental education during the 5 years immediately preceding the filing of an application may be required to complete such additional testing, training, or remedial education as the Board may deem necessary in order to establish the applicant's present capacity to practice dentistry with reasonable judgment, skill, and safety.

(Source: P.A. 96-14, eff. 6-19-09; revised 11-3-09.)

(225 ILCS 25/19.2 new)

Sec. 19.2. Temporary permit for free dental care.

(a) The Department may issue a temporary permit authorizing the practice in this State, without compensation, of dentistry or dental hygiene to an applicant who is licensed to practice dentistry or dental hygiene in another state, if all of the following apply:

(1) The Department determines that the applicant's services will improve the welfare of Illinois residents.

(2) The Department determines that the applicant is qualified and satisfies the criteria specified under Sections 9 and 13 of this Act, except for the examination requirement.

(b) The Department may not require the applicant to pass an examination as provided in subsection (e) of Section 9 of this Act in order to receive a temporary permit under this Section.

(c) A temporary permit under this Section shall authorize the practice of dentistry or dental hygiene in a specified area of the State for a period of time not to exceed 10 consecutive days in a year and may be renewed by the Department. The Department may require an applicant to pay a fee for the issuance or renewal of a permit under this Section.

(d) The Secretary may summarily terminate any permit issued pursuant to this Section, without a hearing, if the Secretary finds that evidence in his or her possession indicates that an individual permit holder's continuation in practice would constitute an imminent danger to the public. In the event that the Secretary summarily suspends a permit issued pursuant to this Section, the permit holder may petition the Department for a hearing in accordance with the provisions of this Act to reinstate his or her permit.

In addition to terminating any permit issued pursuant to this Section, the Department may issue a monetary penalty not to exceed $1,000 upon the permit holder and may notify any state in which the permit holder has been issued a license that his or her Illinois permit has been terminated and the reasons for the termination. The monetary penalty shall be paid within 60 days after the effective date of the order imposing the penalty. The order shall constitute a judgment and may be filed and execution had thereon in the same manner as any judgment from any court of record. It is the intent of the General Assembly that a permit issued pursuant to this Section shall be considered a privilege and not a property right.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.