Section 1917.1.

(a) The committee may grant a license as a registered dental hygienist to an applicant who has not taken a clinical examination before the committee, if the applicant submits all of the following to the committee:

(1) A completed application form and all fees required by the committee.

(2) Proof of a current license as a registered dental hygienist issued by another state that is not revoked, suspended, or otherwise restricted.

(3) Proof that the applicant has been in clinical practice as a registered dental hygienist or has been a full-time faculty member in an accredited dental hygiene education program for a minimum of 750 hours per year for at least five years immediately preceding the date of his or her application under this section. The clinical practice requirement shall be deemed met if the applicant provides proof of at least three years of clinical practice and commits to completing the remaining two years of clinical practice by filing with the committee a copy of a pending contract to practice dental hygiene in any of the following facilities:

(A) A primary care clinic licensed under subdivision (a) of Section 1204 of the Health and Safety Code.

(B) A primary care clinic exempt from licensure pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1206 of the Health and Safety Code.

(C) A clinic owned or operated by a public hospital or health system.

(D) A clinic owned and operated by a hospital that maintains the primary contract with a county government to fill the county's role under Section 17000 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(4) Satisfactory performance on a California law and ethics examination and any examination that may be required by the committee.

(5) Proof that the applicant has not been subject to disciplinary action by any state in which he or she is or has been previously issued any professional or vocational license. If the applicant has been subject to disciplinary action, the committee shall review that action to determine if it warrants refusal to issue a license to the applicant.

(6) Proof of graduation from a school of dental hygiene accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

(7) Proof of satisfactory completion of the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination and of a state clinical examination, regional clinical licensure examination, or any other clinical dental hygiene examination approved by the committee.

(8) Proof that the applicant has not failed the state clinical examination, the examination given by the Western Regional Examining Board, or any other clinical dental hygiene examination approved by the committee for licensure to practice dental hygiene under this chapter more than once or once within five years prior to the date of his or her application for a license under this section.

(9) Documentation of completion of a minimum of 25 units of continuing education earned in the two years preceding application, including completion of any continuing education requirements imposed by the committee on registered dental hygienists licensed in this state at the time of application.

(10) Any other information as specified by the committee to the extent that it is required of applicants for licensure by examination under this article.

(b) The committee may periodically request verification of compliance with the requirements of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a), and may revoke the license upon a finding that the employment requirement or any other requirement of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) has not been met.

(c) The committee shall provide in the application packet to each out-of-state dental hygienist pursuant to this section the following information:

(1) The location of dental manpower shortage areas in the state.

(2) Any not-for-profit clinics, public hospitals, and accredited dental hygiene education programs seeking to contract with licensees for dental hygiene service delivery or training purposes.

(d) The committee shall review the impact of this section on the availability of actively practicing registered dental hygienists in California and report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by January 1, 2012. The report shall include a separate section providing data specific to registered dental hygienists who intend to fulfill the alternative clinical practice requirements of subdivision (a). The report shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(1) The number of applicants from other states who have sought licensure.

(2) The number of registered dental hygienists from other states licensed pursuant to this section, the number of licenses not granted, and the reason why the license was not granted.

(3) The practice location of registered dental hygienists licensed pursuant to this section. In identifying a registered dental hygienist's location of practice, the committee shall use medical service study areas or other appropriate geographic descriptions for regions of the state.

(4) The number of registered dental hygienists licensed pursuant to this section who establish a practice in a rural area or in an area designated as having a shortage of practicing registered dental hygienists or no registered dental hygienists or in a safety net facility identified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).

(5) The length of time registered dental hygienists licensed pursuant to this section practiced in the reported location.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 331, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 2013.)