AN ACT to create and enact a new section to chapter 43-20 and a new section to chapter 43-28 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to volunteer licenses; and to amend and reenact sections 43-20-01.1, 43-20-01.2, 43-20-01.3, 43-20-01.4, 43-20-03, 43-20-05, 43-20-12, 43-20-12.3, 43-20-13, 43-20-13.1, and 43-20-13.2, subsection 6 of section 43-28-02, section 43-28-03, subsection 5 of section 43-28-04, sections 43-28-05, 43-28-06, 43-28-08, 43-28-11, 43-28-13, 43-28-15, 43-28-16.2, and 43-28-18, subsection 1 of section 43-28-18.1, and sections 43-28-18.2 and 43-28-18.3 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the licensing and practice of dental hygienists and dentists, and the board of dental examiners.
SB 2217 makes a broad set of changes to North Dakota’s dental practice laws, focusing on licensing, renewal, scope of practice, discipline, and board administration for dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. It updates definitions and application procedures, authorizes the Board of Dental Examiners to set or modify certain fees by rule, and revises licensure-by-credential pathways for dentists and dental hygienists. The bill also changes renewal timelines and late-renewal rules, adds continuing-education audit authority, and allows the board to extend deadlines for hardship or medical reasons.
The bill also creates new volunteer license authority for both dentistry and dental hygiene, allowing the board to adopt rules for issuing volunteer licenses to previously licensed North Dakota practitioners or out-of-state licensees in good standing. It expands and clarifies scope-of-practice provisions, including delegation by dentists, supervision standards, and the administration of local anesthetic by qualified dental hygienists. For dental assistants, it updates registration categories and recognizes additional credentials such as dental anesthesia assistant and limited radiology registrant.
SB 2217 would substantially revise chapters 43-20 and 43-28 of the North Dakota Century Code, which govern dental hygiene, dentistry, dental assisting, and the Board of Dental Examiners. It gives the board broader rulemaking authority over fees, credentials, continuing education, volunteer licenses, and disciplinary administration, while also tightening and clarifying licensure, renewal, and reporting requirements. The bill affects dentists, dental hygienists, registered and qualified dental assistants, and the board itself, and it updates disciplinary grounds, investigative powers, and temporary suspension procedures.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the legislative process. It passed the Senate unanimously and the House by a wide margin, with only one dissenting vote, suggesting general agreement that the changes were administrative, professional, and regulatory in nature. The absence of recorded committee testimony or amendments in the provided materials also suggests limited visible opposition.
No major points of contention are reflected in the provided record. The most likely areas for debate would have been the board’s expanded authority to set or modify fees by rule, the addition of volunteer licenses, the broader disciplinary and investigative powers, and the revised scope-of-practice rules for hygienists and assistants. However, the vote totals and lack of committee discussion indicate that any concerns were either resolved before final passage or were not significant enough to generate recorded opposition.