| Chapter 062 |
| 2026 -- H 7837 Enacted 06/10/2026 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- DENTISTS AND DENTAL HYGIENISTS |
Introduced By: Representatives Caldwell, and Kislak |
| Date Introduced: February 27, 2026 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 5-31.1-39 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-31.1 entitled "Dentists |
| and Dental Hygienists" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 5-31.1-39. Public health hygienists. |
| (a) Any public health dental hygienist, which for purposes of this chapter means any |
| practicing registered dental hygienist who may perform dental-hygiene procedures in a public- |
| health setting subject to conditions adopted by the Rhode Island board of examiners in dentistry, |
| may perform in a public-health setting, without the immediate or direct supervision or direction of |
| a dentist, any procedure or provide any service that is within the dental-hygiene scope of practice |
| that has been authorized and adopted by the Rhode Island board of examiners in dentistry as a |
| delegable procedure for a dental hygienist under general supervision in a private practice setting. |
| (b) Public-health settings shall, for purposes of this section, include, but are not limited to, |
| residences of the homebound, schools, nursing home and long-term-care facilities, clinics, |
| hospitals, medical facilities, community health centers licensed or certified by the department of |
| health, mobile and portable dental-health programs licensed or certified by the department of health |
| and operated by a local or state agency, head-start programs, and any other facilities or programs |
| deemed appropriate by the department of health. |
| (c) Any public-health hygienist shall enter into a written, collaborative agreement with a |
| local or state government agency or institution or with a licensed dentist who states that he or she |
| shall be able to provide the appropriate level of communication and consultation with the dental |
| hygienist to ensure patient health and safety prior to performing any procedure or providing any |
| service under this section. The written, collaborative agreement will follow the appropriate |
| guidelines as determined and established by the Rhode Island board of examiners in dentistry. |
| (d) Any public-health dental hygienist shall provide to the patient, or to the patient’s legal |
| guardian, a consent form to be signed by the patient or legal guardian. The consent form shall be |
| consistent with current department of health policies that describes services to be rendered and |
| explains that services rendered are not a substitute for a dental examination by a dentist. The |
| consent form shall also inform the patient or legal guardian that the patient should obtain a dental |
| examination by a dentist within ninety (90) days after undergoing a procedure authorized pursuant |
| to this section. The patient or legal guardian shall also obtain written referral to a dentist and an |
| assessment of further dental needs. |
| (e) The public-health dental hygienist shall be directly reimbursed for services |
| administered in a public-health setting by Medicaid or the state healthcare insurance program |
| except as required by federal Medicaid law, but shall not and may seek reimbursement from any |
| other insurance or third-party payor. A public-health dental hygienist shall not operate |
| independently of a dentist, except for a dental hygienist working for a local or state government |
| agency or institution or practicing in a mobile or portable prevention program licensed or certified |
| by the department of health. In such cases, the local or state government agency or institution or |
| mobile or portable prevention program licensed or certified by the department of health may seek |
| reimbursement from any other third-party payor. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC004973 |
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