Government Relations
HB 325 : Authorizing Licensing Boards to Issue Advisory Opinions
Rep . Keith Greiner introduced HB 325 , legislation which would allow licensing boards to issue advisory opinions to licensees who request in interpretation of the board ’ s regulations for the profession . Licensed professionals who have questions on whether a certain action is permitted by their respective licensing board often ask the licensing board for advice prior to acting .
Currently , Title 63 , which outlines the powers and duties of licensing boards and commissions within the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs , does not give the boards and commissions authority to provide advisory opinions to licensees .
HB 325 will allow licensing boards to answer inquiries through the form of an advisory opinion , which would be legally nonbinding but could reduce the number of violations because licensees would have the means to determine if an action is in fact permissible .
PDA believes this legislation will help licensees who are trying in good faith to comply with the licensing board ’ s regulations but who sometimes have difficulty interpreting their meaning .
HR : Legislative Study on Access to Dental Care in Rural PA
Rep . Kathy Rapp ( R-Warren ) introduced HR 68 , which requires the House Legislative Budget and Finance Committee ( LBFC ) to study access to care in rural areas of the state , identify dental service delivery models that will improve access and reduce costs , and issue a report to the full House of Representatives within a year of the bill ’ s enactment . The committee will focus its research on alternative delivery models such as telehealth and mobile dentistry and the availability of dental care for Medical Assistance patients .
The House of Representative unanimously adopted HR 68 in March . PDA has offered itself as a resource to Rep . Rapp and the LBFC for when the study commences , and to put them in touch with members who practice in rural areas .
PDA ’ s Advocacy Goals for 2021-2022
PDA ’ s Government Relations Committee was tasked with setting PDA ’ s legislative priorities for the Pennsylvania General Assembly ’ s new session that commenced in January 2021 . The committee takes very seriously its role in determining how best to use PDA ’ s lobbying resources and PAC funds and took into consideration the results of our member poll sent last fall , asking you to rank third-party payer and other dental issues in order of importance .
Before the start of a legislative session every two years , PDA leaders also carefully weigh every issue impacting the dental profession and assess Pennsylvania ’ s political climate before deciding which of those issues to advocate for on your behalf and how best to allocate PDA ’ s resources to achieving our collective legislative goals .
PDA ’ s Advocacy Agenda for the 2021-22 legislative session : 1 ) Assignment of Benefits 2 ) Dentists administering diagnostic / antibody tests and vaccines 3 ) Dental student loan forgiveness 4 ) Dental Medical Assistance funding
Thank you for taking the time to respond to PDA ’ s survey on what issues are of most concern to you and your practice ! Please be on the lookout for PDA ’ s legislative action alerts as session continues and be sure to respond with a quick email or phone call to your state lawmakers . We will give you all the background information and talking points you need to communicate dentistry ’ s position All we ask for is five minutes of your time . Together , we can achieve dentistry ’ s legislative goals that will help shape the profession for years to come !
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 9