HB197

Hello to all our AKDHA members!

Your Alaska Dental Hygienists’ Association (AKDHA) has some legislative news to share.  House Bill 197 (HB 197) was introduced into the Alaska Legislature on April 16, 2025 by Representative Tomaszewski of Fairbanks.  The title of the bill is "An Act relating to the practice of dental hygiene; establishing an executive administrator position for the Board of Dental Examiners; and relating to the ownership of dental offices and clinics."  

The portion of the bill that relates to dental hygiene, starts on the first page and shows what would be deleted in [BRACKETS].  The dental  hygiene portion reads:

Section 1. AS 08.32.014(a) is amended to read:                                                                   

      (a)  An applicant for a license to practice dental hygiene shall                                             

            (1)  provide evidence to the board that the applicant                                                   

                  (A)  has successfully completed an academic program in 

dental hygiene [OF AT LEAST TWO YEARS DURATION] that, at the time of graduation, is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and is approved by the board;  

The full text of the bill is available if you click on this link: https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/34/Bills/HB0197A.PDF.  

The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Dental Hygiene Educational Program Standard reinforces the two year minimum requirement, but the language is more specific than what is currently written in Alaska statute (see CODA excerpt below).

As far as we know, the existing statute has not impacted qualified hygienists from becoming licensed in Alaska.  The AKDHA legislative team (Royann Royer, Shellea Tramell, Gail Walden and Sandy Pence) and several board members recently had a meeting to discuss the bill and determine how we want to respond this session and prepare for the next session.  The ADHA is also ready to provide support if needed and we have been in contact with Juneau lobbyist Yuri Morgan.  If you would like to track the bill there are two ways:

By Email: Visit Bill Tracking Management Facility (BTMF)

By Text: Text bill number (HB197) to 559-245-2529 

On May 7th, we were notified that HB 197 was scheduled for its first hearing.  It will be heard on Friday, May 16th in the House Labor & Commerce Committee.  We are currently preparing testimony for this hearing.  Though we don’t expect a need for members this session to send emails or testify at committee hearings, we will likely need you to engage with your Representative and/or Senator next session.  If you are a constituent or have a personal connection to any of the following Representatives on the House L&C Committee, please let us know.  

• Representative Zack Fields 

• Representative Carolyn Hall

• Representative Ashley Carrick

• Representative Robyn Niayuq Burke

• Representative Dan Saddler

• Representative Julie Coulombe

• Representative David Nelson

Also, if you are on Facebook, please make sure to join the group Alaska DHA. While the Facebook group can include any RDH’s in Alaska (ADHA members and non-members alike), only ADHA members will receive email updates from us.  Know that we are working hard on your behalf and we appreciate the trust you put in us!  We hope that you will encourage fellow hygienists you know and work with to join the only association in Alaska representing dental hygienists–AKDHA! 

If you have any questions, please contact us on our Contact Page.  

Sincerely, 

The AKDHA Executive Board

Excerpt from CODA:

STANDARD 2 - EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

The curriculum must include at least two academic years of full-time instruction or its equivalent at the post-secondary college-level.  The scope and depth of the curriculum must reflect the objectives and philosophy of higher education.  The college catalog must list the degree awarded and course titles and descriptions.

In a two-year college setting, the graduates of the program must be awarded an associate degree.  In a four-year college or university, graduates of the program must be awarded an associate or comparable degree, post-degree certificate, or baccalaureate degree.

Intent:

The dental hygiene curriculum is comprehensive in scope and depth and requires a minimum of two years of academic preparation.  The curriculum should include additional coursework and experiences, as appropriate, to develop competent oral health care providers who can deliver optimal patient care within a variety of practice settings and meet the needs of the evolving healthcare environment.