Bill Text: NJ S3117 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Reduces continuing education credit requirements for dentists who have been in practice for more than 50 years.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-01 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S3117 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S3117-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator GERALD CARDINALE
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Reduces continuing education credit requirements for dentists who have been in practice for more than 50 years.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning dentists and amending P.L.1991, c.490.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.1991, c.490 (C.45:6-10.2) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. The board shall:
(1) Establish standards for continuing dental education, including the subject matter and content of courses of study, and may establish any core continuing dental educational requirements pursuant to subsection c. of this section that all licensees shall complete as a condition of biennial licensure;
(2) Accredit educational and other programs offering credit towards the continuing dental education requirements; and
(3) Accredit other equivalent educational programs, including, but not limited to, meetings of constituents and components of dental professional associations recognized by the board, examinations, papers, publications, scientific presentations, teaching and research appointments, table clinics and scientific exhibits, and shall establish procedures for the issuance of credit upon satisfactory proof of the completion of these programs.
b. In the case of education courses or programs, each hour of instruction shall be equivalent to one credit.
c. The board may, in its discretion, delineate specific topics of dental education for any biennial renewal period or periods as core continuing dental education requirements that the board deems necessary to address developments in science or technology or particular issues or problems. The board shall provide notification of the specific topics and the registration periods to which those requirements apply by direct communication to licensees or through electronic media.
d. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, a dentist licensed to practice in this State, who has been in practice for more than 50 years, shall be required to complete no more than 10 hours of continuing dental education as a condition of biennial licensure.
(cf: P.L.2009, c.221, s.3)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill reduces the number of continuing dental education credits required of certain dentists.
Currently, all dentists are required to complete 40 hours of continuing dental education as a condition of biennial licensure, regardless of how long they have been in practice, except that newly-licensed dentists may be required to complete only 20 hours of continuing dental education if initially licensed in the second year of a biennial registration period.
This bill provides that a dentist licensed in New Jersey, who has been in practice for more than 50 years, will be required to complete no more than 10 hours of continuing dental education as a condition of biennial licensure.
