HB 5140 — AN ACT ALLOWING DENTAL HYGIENISTS TO PROVIDE DENTAL HYGIENE SERVICES IN PATIENTS' PRIVATE RESIDENCES.

33739 This(f) actEach shalldental takehygienist effectpracticing asin followsa andpublic health facility or the private residence of a patient shall amend(1) refer for treatment any patient with needs outside the followingdental sections:hygienist's scope of practice, and (2) coordinate such referral for treatment to dentists licensed pursuant to chapter 379.

Section(g) 1Each fromlicensed passagedental Newhygienist sectionapplying AGEfor Jointlicense Favorablerenewal HB5140shall /earna Fileminimumofsixteencontact No.hoursofcontinuing educationwithin the preceding twenty-four-month period, including, for registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2016, at least one contact hour of training or education in infection control in a dental setting and, for registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2017, at least one contact hour of training or education in cultural competency.

33The 2subject HB5140matter Filefor No.continuing education shall reflect the professional needs of the licensee in order to meet the health care needs of the public.

33Continuing Theeducation followingactivities Fiscalshall Impactprovide Statementsignificant andtheoretical Billor Analysispractical arecontent prepareddirectly forrelated theto benefitclinical ofor thescientific membersaspects of thedental Generalhygiene. Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

Qualifying continuing education activities include, but are not limited to, courses, including on-line courses, that are offered or approved by dental schools and other institutions of higher education that are accredited or recognized by the Council on Dental Accreditation, a regional accrediting organization, the American Dental Association, a state, district or local dental association or society affiliated with the American Dental Association, the National Dental Association, the American Dental Hygienists Association or a state, district or local dental hygiene association or society affiliated with the American Dental Hygienists Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the Academy of Dental Hygiene, the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association when sponsoring programs in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or cardiac life support, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and armed forces of the United States when conducting programs at United States governmental facilities, a hospital or other health care institution, agencies or businesses whose programs are accredited or recognized by the Council on Dental Accreditation, local, state or national medical associations, or a state or HB5140 / File No.

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739 local health department.

Eight hours of volunteer dental practice at a public health facility, as defined in subsection (a) of this section, may be substituted for one contact hour of continuing education, up to a maximum of five contact hours in one two-year period.

Activities that do not qualify toward meeting these requirements include professional organizational business meetings, speeches delivered at luncheons or banquets, and the reading of books, articles, or professional journals.

(h) Each licensee applying for license renewal pursuant to section 19a-88, except a licensee applying for a license renewal for the first time, shallsigna statementattestingthatheorshehassatisfiedthecontinuing education requirements described in subsection (g) of this section on a form prescribed by the department.

Each licensee shall retain records of attendance or certificates of completion that demonstrate compliance with the continuing education requirements described in subsection (g) of this section for not less than three years following the date on which the continuing education was completed or the license was renewed.

Each licensee shall submit such records to the department for inspection not later than forty-five days after a request by the department for such records.

A licensee who fails to comply with the provisions of this sectionmaybesubjecttodisciplinaryactionpursuanttosection20-126o.

(i) In individual cases involving medical disability or illness, the Commissioner of Public Health may grant a waiver of the continuing education requirements or an extension of time within which to fulfill the requirements of this subsection to any licensee, provided the licensee submits to the Department of Public Health an application for waiver or extension of time on a form prescribed by the commissioner, along with a certification by a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse of the disability or illness and such other documentation as may be required by the commissioner.

The commissioner may grant a waiver or extension for a period not to exceed one registration period, except the commissioner may grant additional waivers or extensions if the medical disability or illness upon which a waiver or extension is granted continues beyond the period of the waiver or extension and the licensee HB5140 / File No.

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739 applies for an additional waiver or extension.

(j) A licensee who is not engaged in active professional practice, in any form, during a registration period shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements, provided the licensee submits a notarized application for exemption on a form prescribed by the commissioner prior to the end of the registration period.

A licensee who is exempt under the provisions of this subsection may not engage in professional practice until the licensee has met the continuing education requirements of this section.

(k)A licensee whoselicense has become voidpursuant to section19a- 88 and who applies to the department for reinstatement of such license, shall:

(1) Submit evidence of completion of a minimum of twenty-four contact hours of qualifying continuing education, as described in subsection (g) of this section, during the two-year period immediately preceding the application for reinstatement;

or (2) for an applicant who has not been in the active practice of dental hygiene for more than two years, submit evidence of successful completion of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners Examination in Dental Hygiene or a refresher course approved by the department during the one-year period immediately preceding the application for reinstatement.

(l) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a student of dental hygiene enrolled in a dental hygiene program, as described in section 20-126i, from performing dental hygiene work as a required component of his or her course of study in such program, provided the student (1) performs such work under the direct supervision of a dentist licensed pursuant to chapter 379 or a dental hygienist licensed pursuant to this chapter, (2) shall not hold himself or herself out as a licensed dental hygienist, and (3) shall not receive compensation for such work.

(m) The Commissioner of Public Health shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish requirements HB5140 / File No.

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739 for a licensed dental hygienist's practice of dental hygiene in the private residence of a patient, as described in subsection (b) of this section, including, but not limited to, (1) a definition of eligible patients, (2) a requirement that a patient have a documented, comprehensive oral health care plan established prior to treatment, (3) establishment of emergency protocols for the management of medical or dental complications, (4) standards for infection control, equipment and safety for the provision of care in a private residence, and (5) additional safeguards the commissioner deems necessary to ensure patient safety, provider safety and continuity of care.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 20-126l HB5140 / File No.

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739 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Commission on Women, GF - Cost 12,000 None Children,Municipal Seniors,Impact: Equity and Opportunity Note:

GF=GeneralNone FundExplanation MunicipalThe Impact:bill allows certain dental hygienists to provide services in private residences without a dentist’s general supervision, resulting in no fiscal impact to the state or municipalities.

None Explanation The billDepartment requiresof thePublic CommissionHealth onhas Women,the Children,necessary Seniors,expertise Equity and Opportunity to conductadopt aregulations studyas onrequired by the needsbill. of senior citizens resulting in a cost of $12,000 in FY 27.

ToHouse meet"A" thestrikes requirements of the studyunderlying thebill Commissionand willits needassociated tofiscal hireimpact, aresulting graduate fellow from a Connecticut based institution in FY 27 to assist with the research,impact datadescribed collection,above. and drafting of the report.

The Out Years None.

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33739 OLR Bill Analysis HB 5140 (as amended by House “A”)* AN ACT CONCERNING A STUDY OF THE NEEDS OF SENIOR CITIZENS.

SUMMARY TheThis Officebill allows dental hygienists who have been practicing for at least two years to provide dental hygiene services, without a dentist’s general supervision, in patients’ homes so long as they comply with (1) the scope of Legislativepractice Researchlimitations doesin notexisting analyzelaw Specialand Acts.(2) regulations, which the bill requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to adopt.

Existing law already allows these hygienists to do this in public health facilities (such as hospitals, residential care homes, and senior centers).

*House Amendment “A” replaces the underlying bill, which required a study of seniors’ needs.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

October 1, 2026 SCOPE OF PRACTICE LIMITATIONS Asunderexistinglawfordentalhygienistspracticinginpublichealth facilities, the bill requires those practicing in a patient’s home to refer the patient to a licensed dentist if his or her needs exceed the hygienist’s scope of practice (see BACKGROUND).

Under existing law and the bill, dental hygienists may not perform certain dental services, such as making a diagnosis for dental procedures or treatment;

cutting or removing any hard or soft tissue;

prescribing medications;

taking teeth or jaw impressions;

or placing or adjusting final restorations, capping materials, or cement bases.

DPH REGULATIONS HB5140 / File No.

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739 The bill requires DPH to adopt regulations on dental hygienists providing services in patients’ homes, which must at least:

1.

define eligible patients;

2.

requirethateachpatienthaveadocumented,comprehensiveoral health care plan that was made before treatment;

3.

establish emergency protocols for managing medical or dental complications;

and 4.

set standards for infection control, equipment, and safety and any others it decides are needed for patient and provider safety and continuity of care.

BACKGROUND Dental Hygienist Scope of Practice By law, dental hygienistsmay provideeducational,preventative,and therapeutic services.

These services include completing a prophylaxis;

removing calcium deposits, accretions, and stains;

applying pit and fissure sealants and topical solutions to exposed parts of teeth;

and dental hygiene exams, including hygiene assessments, treatment plans, and charting oral conditions.

Under certain circumstances, they may also take alginate impressions of teeth and administer local anesthesia.

Related Bill sHB 5303 (File 96), favorably reported by the Aging Committee, similarly allows dental hygienists to provide services in private residences.

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