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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2025-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2025-06-23</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Berman</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
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<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Berman</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Article 10 (commencing with Section 1980) to Chapter 4 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>healing arts</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Dentistry: outreach and support program.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, establishes the Dental Board of California in the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate the practice of dentistry.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the board to develop, implement, and maintain an outreach and support program to recruit students from underserved communities in the state to pursue education and licensure in the field of dentistry. The bill would establish duties the board would be required to carry out in that regard, including conducting at least 2 outreach activities per year focused on students from underserved communities. The bill would require the board to provide a summary of actions
taken pursuant to the bill’s provisions as part of its report to the Legislature through the sunset review process.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
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<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
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<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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There continues to be a recognized shortage of dental care professionals in underserved communities throughout the state, and increasing access to dental education and professional licensure for individuals from these communities is essential to ensuring equitable access to oral health care.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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According to the California Future Health Workforce Commission, the state is projected to face challenges in ensuring adequate access to dental care by 2030, not due to a lack of dentists overall, but because of a maldistribution of the dental workforce.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
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Without targeted efforts to improve workforce distribution and address systemic barriers such as reimbursement rates and regional workforce shortages, underserved areas will continue to experience limited access to dental providers.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
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The federal Health Resources and Services Administration has designated over 570 Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas in California, where millions of residents lack adequate access to dental care providers.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
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Less than 10 percent the state’s dentists are identified as Latino or Black, despite those groups comprising approximately 45 percent of the state’s population, resulting in significant barriers to
accessing culturally and linguistically competent care for patients.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
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The cost and complexity of applying to dental school and obtaining licensure are significant barriers for students from underserved communities, especially those who are first-generation college students.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
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Expanding awareness of existing state programs, such as the California Dental Corps Loan Repayment Program, and offering application guidance can help more qualified candidates from underserved areas enter the dental profession and serve in high-need regions.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Article 10 (commencing with Section 1980) is added to Chapter 4 of Division 2 of the
<ns0:DocName>Business and Professions Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawHeading id="id_B9139FA4-AB70-418B-AA58-DF6FF75A8051" type="ARTICLE">
<ns0:Num>10.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:LawHeadingText>Outreach and Support Program</ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:Num>1980.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
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For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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“Board” means the Dental Board of California.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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“Underserved community” means a geographic area or population group identified in a database compiled by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, or a medically underserved population, as defined in Section 128552 of the Health and Safety Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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The board shall develop, implement, and maintain an outreach and support program to recruit students from underserved communities in the state to pursue education and licensure in the field of dentistry.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
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As part of the program, the board shall do all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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Coordinate with public high schools, community colleges, universities, dental schools, and community-based organizations to identify and engage students from underserved communities with an interest in oral health care professions.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Provide accessible information to interested students regarding the educational pathway to becoming a licensed dentist in California, including undergraduate requirements, dental school admissions, licensure examinations, and application procedures.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
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Offer guidance, directly or through partnerships, on preparing for and applying to accredited dental schools, including information on prerequisite coursework, application timelines, personal statement
writing, and interview preparation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
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Provide assistance and information regarding the California Dental Corps Loan Repayment Program established pursuant to Section 1970 and other available financial aid or scholarship opportunities for students pursuing dental education or entering the dental workforce in underserved communities.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
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Conduct at least two outreach activities per year, such as webinars, in-person presentations, or resource fairs, focused on students from underserved communities.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(6)
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Develop and maintain a publicly available webpage containing all of the information required under this section in a clear and comprehensible format in both English and Spanish.
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<html:p>
(d)
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The board may collaborate with relevant state and federal agencies, health
professional organizations, and accredited educational institutions to carry out the duties described in this section.
</html:p>
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(e)
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The board shall provide a summary of actions taken pursuant to this section as part of its report to the Legislature through the sunset review process.
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