Modifies provisions relating to the dental professions
HB1031 repeals existing Missouri statutes governing licensure by endorsement for dentists and dental hygienists and replaces them with a new framework for interstate licensure mobility. The bill creates a new Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, which would allow Missouri to join a multi-state agreement enabling dentists and dental hygienists licensed in participating states to practice in other participating states through a compact privilege, rather than obtaining a separate full license in each state. It also adds standalone provisions for Missouri licensure by endorsement for dentists and dental hygienists licensed elsewhere, including expedited review and waiver of examination, education, or experience requirements in specified circumstances.
The compact provisions establish detailed rules for eligibility, discipline, background checks, data sharing, rulemaking, governance, enforcement, and withdrawal. They also address military members and military spouses, including fee relief for active-duty military members and spouses applying for compact privileges. The bill is designed to streamline interstate practice, improve access to dental care, and address workforce shortages while preserving each participating state’s authority over scope of practice, discipline, and public protection.
The bill would substantially revise Chapter 332 by repealing the current reciprocity-style licensure provisions in sections 332.211 and 332.281 and replacing them with new licensure-by-endorsement language plus a compact framework in new sections 332.700 through 332.760. It would affect the Missouri Dental Board’s authority to license dentists and dental hygienists from other jurisdictions, require participation in a shared data system, and subject compact licensees to Missouri regulatory authority when practicing in the state. If enacted and the compact becomes effective, Missouri law would also be tied to the compact’s interstate rules, including disciplinary reporting, criminal background checks, and recognition of compact privileges from other participating states.
The bill appears generally favorable toward professional mobility and access to care, with the text emphasizing reduced duplication, workforce shortages, and improved public access to dental services. The absence of committee transcripts or recorded votes limits insight into legislative debate, but the structure and findings of the bill suggest a policy consensus around easing interstate practice for dentists and dental hygienists while maintaining regulatory safeguards. Overall, the bill’s tone is pro-licensure portability and pro-workforce expansion.
The main points of contention likely concern the balance between interstate mobility and state control. The compact gives participating states broad authority to discipline compact privilege holders, but it also creates a shared rulemaking and data-sharing system that may raise concerns about administrative burden, privacy, and the extent to which Missouri would be bound by rules adopted through the compact commission. Another likely issue is whether the bill’s waiver of examination, education, or experience requirements for certain out-of-state applicants is sufficiently protective of public safety. Military spouse provisions and fee waivers may also be debated, though the bill clearly favors those accommodations.