S 3966: Authorizes the use of approved programs at foreign dental schools to satisfy the experience requirement for licensure as a dentist.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3966 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 31, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requirements for licensure as a dentist The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 6605 of the education law, as 2 amended by chapter 57 of the laws of 1999, is amended and two new subdi- 3 visions 2-a and 6 are added to read as follows: 4 2-a. (a) On recommendation of the board, the department may issue a 5 limited permit for instructing in dentistry to a dentist not licensed 6 under this article to participate as a general practice dental preceptee 7 in a preceptorship program under the supervision of a licensed dentist 8 practicing in a federally qualified health care facility or similar 9 facility that primarily serves an underserved population, and in doing 10 so to practice dentistry as defined in this article, but only on the 11 premises of such federally qualified health care facility or such simi- 12 lar facility as may be used to conduct the preceptorship program, 13 provided such preceptee: (i) is licensed to practice dentistry in a 14 jurisdiction other than New York; (ii) has completed a dental program 15 accredited by an organization accepted by the department as a reliable 16 authority for the purpose of accrediting such programs (such as the 17 commission on dental accreditation); (iii) has completed a preliminary 18 competency examination in accordance with the commissioner's regu- 19 lations; (iv) has a minimum of five years full-time dental practice 20 experience or the equivalent thereof within the seven years immediately 21 preceding the request for a limited permit; and (v) practices for the 22 duration of the preceptorship program exclusively in a federally quali- 23 fied health care facility or similar facility that primarily serves an 24 underserved population. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06285-01-5 
 S. 3966 2 1 (b) A licensed preceptor dentist who supervises a preceptee pursuant 2 to this subdivision shall have practiced for at least three years imme- 3 diately preceding the assumption of a preceptorship and shall have under 4 their supervision not more than one full-time preceptee nor more than 5 two part-time preceptees. 6 4. A limited permit under this section shall be valid for one year or 7 until ten days after notification of denial of an application for 8 license. A limited permit may be renewed for one year, except if the 9 applicant is serving in a residency program in a hospital or school of 10 dentistry or preceptorship program in a federally qualified health care 11 facility or such similar facility in this state. A limited permit may be 12 renewed annually for the duration of such residency program or precep- 13 torship program. The fee for each limited permit and for each renewal 14 shall be one hundred five dollars. 15 6. A dentist that complies with the provisions of subdivision two or 16 two-a of this section for a duration of five years, upon satisfactory 17 completion of such five years of practice, may apply for licensure as a 18 dentist in this state. 19 § 2. Subdivisions 3 and 6 of section 6604 of the education law, subdi- 20 vision 3 as amended by chapter 613 of the laws of 2022 and subdivision 6 21 as amended by chapter 669 of the laws of 2022, are amended to read as 22 follows: 23 (3) Experience: have experience satisfactory to the board and in 24 accordance with the commissioner's regulations, provided that such expe- 25 rience shall consist of (i) satisfactory completion of a postdoctoral 26 general practice or specialty dental residency program, of at least one 27 year's duration, in a hospital or dental facility accredited for teach- 28 ing purposes by a national accrediting body approved by the department, 29 or (ii) satisfactory completion of at least five year's duration prac- 30 ticing as a dentist with a limited permit issued in accordance with 31 subdivision two or two-a of section sixty-six hundred five of this arti- 32 cle, provided, further that any such residency program, employment by a 33 registered school of dentistry or preceptorship program shall include a 34 formal outcome assessment evaluation of the resident's or dentist's 35 competence to practice dentistry acceptable to the department; 36 (6) Citizenship or immigration status: be a United States citizen or a 37 noncitizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United 38 States; provided, however, that the board of regents may grant a three 39 year waiver for a noncitizen to practice in an area which has been 40 designated a federal dental health professions shortage area, except 41 that the board of regents may grant an additional extension not to 42 exceed six years to a noncitizen to enable [him or her] such noncitizen 43 to secure citizenship or permanent resident status, provided such status 44 is being actively pursued; and provided further that the board of 45 regents may grant an additional three-year waiver, and at its expira- 46 tion, an extension for a period not to exceed six additional years, for 47 the holder of an H-1b visa, an O-1 visa, or an equivalent or successor 48 visa thereto; 49 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 50 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or 51 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of 52 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed 53 on or before such effective date.