California 20252026 Regular Session Status: Introduced 1 D cosponsors

AB 1952 — Dentistry: dental hygienists: licensure.

Last action — In committee: Held under submission.

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  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Prognosis

Stalled 28% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill modifies licensure requirements for dental hygienists in California.

This bill updates the licensure process for dental hygienists to include those who pass the American Board of Dental Examiners' exam. It also allows graduates of nonaccredited dental schools to qualify under specific requirements.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This may provide more pathways for individuals from nonaccredited dental schools to work as licensed dental hygienists.

Summary

Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of dental hygienists by the Dental Hygiene Board of California. Existing law requires the board to license as a registered dental hygienist a person who satisfies specified requirements, including completion of a prescribed education program, satisfactory completion of an examination in California law and ethics, and satisfactory performance, within the preceding 3 years, of the dental hygiene examination given by the Western Regional Examining Board or any other clinical or dental hygiene examination approved by the board. This bill would require the board to license as a registered dental hygienist an applicant who has successfully completed the dental hygiene examination given by the American Board of Dental Examiners and submitted an application and appropriate fees. The bill would require the board to certify an individual as eligible to take that dental hygiene examination if they have earned a degree from a nonaccredited dental school and they meet certain other requirements. Among those requirements, the bill would include submission of verification of their degree's equivalence, as specified, satisfactory completion of specified examinations within the 5 years preceding application, and satisfactory completion of certain coursework, including, among other things, a board-approved course in soft-tissue curettage, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia, within the 2 years preceding application. The bill would deem an individual eligible to enroll in a board-approved course in soft-tissue curettage, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia if they have otherwise satisfied certain verification, examination, and coursework requirements, as specified.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. In committee: Held under submission.

  2. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  4. Read second time and amended.

  5. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 21).

  6. Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.

  7. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.

  8. Referred to Com. on B. & P.

  9. From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

  10. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 121 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

Passed 17 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 12002
Republican 5000
Total 17002
% of votes cast 89%0%0%11%
How each member voted (19)
Member Party Vote
Addis, Dawn Democratic Yea
Ahrens, Patrick Democratic Yea
Bains, Jasmeet Democratic Not Voting
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Caloza, Jessica Democratic Not Voting
Elhawary, Sade Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Yea
Hadwick, Heather Republican Yea
Johnson, Natasha Republican Yea
Macedo, Alexandra Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

healthcare labor education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 1952 do?
Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of dental hygienists by the Dental Hygiene Board of California. Existing law requires the board to license as a registered dental hygienist a person who satisfies specified requirements, including completion of a prescribed education program, satisfactory completion of an examination in California law and ethics, and satisfactory performance, within the preceding 3 years, of the dental hygiene examination given by the Western Regional Examining Board or any other clinical or dental hygiene examination approved by the board. This bill would require the board to license as a registered dental hygienist an applicant who has successfully completed the dental hygiene examination given by the American Board of Dental Examiners and submitted an application and appropriate fees. The bill would require the board to certify an individual as eligible to take that dental hygiene examination if they have earned a degree from a nonaccredited dental school and they meet certain other requirements. Among those requirements, the bill would include submission of verification of their degree's equivalence, as specified, satisfactory completion of specified examinations within the 5 years preceding application, and satisfactory completion of certain coursework, including, among other things, a board-approved course in soft-tissue curettage, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia, within the 2 years preceding application. The bill would deem an individual eligible to enroll in a board-approved course in soft-tissue curettage, local anesthesia, and nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia if they have otherwise satisfied certain verification, examination, and coursework requirements, as specified.
Who sponsors AB 1952?
AB 1952 is sponsored by Berman, Marc (Democratic).
What is the current status of AB 1952?
This bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Introduced February 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track AB 1952?
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