A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 5 of Chapter 27 of Title 54.1 a section numbered 54.1-2729.03, relating to Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact; criminal background check.
HB530 adds a new section to the Code of Virginia governing the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. The bill requires the Board to conduct a criminal background check for each applicant seeking compact-eligible licensure. Applicants must submit fingerprints and identifying information so state and federal criminal history records can be checked through the Central Criminal Records Exchange and the FBI.
The bill also places the cost of fingerprinting and the criminal history search on the applicant. If licensure is denied because of criminal history information and the applicant disputes the basis for the denial, the bill directs the Central Criminal Records Exchange to provide procedures for the applicant to obtain copies of the relevant records. The bill limits dissemination of the criminal history information to the uses authorized in the section.
HB530 would create a new statutory requirement in Title 54.1 for applicants under the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, adding a mandatory fingerprint-based background check process to compact-eligible licensure. It affects the Board, the Central Criminal Records Exchange, the FBI, and applicants for compact licensure, and it clarifies that applicants bear the associated costs. The bill would also establish a record-access process for applicants who challenge a denial based on criminal history information.
The available record shows no committee debate or recorded votes, so there is no documented public sentiment from transcripts. Procedurally, the bill was left in the Committee on Appropriations, which suggests it did not advance beyond committee consideration. Based on the text alone, the measure appears administrative and regulatory rather than controversial in substance.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential issues implied by the bill include the added cost and administrative burden on applicants, the use of criminal history records in licensure decisions, and privacy concerns related to fingerprint and background-check information. However, no member comments, amendments, or recorded opposition are available to show who raised those concerns.