ALAINE PIMSNER

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH INTERN

CHERIE STONE

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

RESEARCH STAFF

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

DATE:            February 8, 2021

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to S.B. 1372, relating to dental board; sedation; anesthesia

Purpose

            Authorizes a licensee of the Board of Dental Examiners (Board) who has not obtained a sedation or anesthesia permit to perform dental procedures on a patient in the presence of a licensed anesthesiologist or anesthetist.

Background

            The Board, established in 1935, consists of six licensed dentists, two licensed dental hygienists, two public members and one business entity member as appointed by the Governor. The Board is responsible for protecting the health, safety and welfare of the state through the examination, licensure and complaint adjudication and enforcement processes. The Board oversees dentists and supervised personnel, including dental hygienists and dental assistants. According to the Board's website, there are approximately 8,400 licensed dentists and hygienists practicing in Arizona (A.R.S. § 32-1203).

            The Board is responsible for regulating professional conduct in the dentistry community and is tasked with establishing criteria for the renewal of permits issued relating to general anesthesia and sedation. The Board is required to prescribe educational, professional, and permit requirements for the use of semiconscious or conscious sedation by dental professionals (A.R.S.
§ 32-1207).

            There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Allows a licensee who has not obtained a permit to perform dental procedures on a patient who receives an anesthetic administered by a qualified anesthesia provider who is exclusively responsible for the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative anesthetic management of the patient.

2. Designates a qualified anesthesia provider as a licensed physician who has completed residency training in anesthesiology or a licensed certified registered nurse anesthetist who has a national board certification in anesthesiology.

3. Requires a physician or nurse anesthetist who provides anesthesia in a dental office to satisfy equipment, facility and monitoring requirements consistent with standards adopted by the Board.

4. Requires the Board to report an adverse anesthesia outcome to the health profession regulatory board that regulates the anesthesia provider.

5. Makes technical and conforming changes.

6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.