Sponsor: Rep. Jennifer Poirier | Current Status: DEAD

This bill repeals the law governing the process for a public water system to add fluoride to its water supply. Instead, the bill prohibits a public water system from adding fluoride to its water supply. A person who intentionally violates that prohibition commits a civil violation for which a fine of $1,000 per day for each day of the violation may be adjudged.

Sponsor: Rep. Ambureen Rana | Current Status: Placed on the SPECIAL STUDY TABLE pending FINAL PASSAGE

This bill establishes a new dentist license category, adjunct dentist license, which allows a qualified dentist who lacks the board-determined educational equivalency to a United States doctoral degree in dentistry, such as a dentist trained outside of the United States with a bachelor of dentistry degree, to obtain a license to practice dentistry under the general supervision of a licensed dentist through a written practice agreement signed by both parties. The bill also establishes a pathway to be licensed as a dentist after practicing under an adjunct dentist license for 3 consecutive years in good standing.

Sponsor: Rep. Lori Gramlich | Current Status: PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE

1. It delays the requirement for oral health services to be available in all schools from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2027 and clarifies that the requirement applies only to public schools. 2. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop public-private partnerships to establish a model to provide for mobile dental services providers to provide additional preventive oral health and disease intervention services in schools based on the model in the Cumberland County School Oral Health Project. It requires the department to provide for at least one mobile dental services provider in each public health district per school year. 3. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide training and education to primary care providers on minimally invasive dental disease treatment for infants and small children using guidance from the From the First Tooth program or its successor program and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatricians are encouraged to use silver diamine fluoride in primary care settings to reduce dental disease and prevent cavities. 4. It makes permanent 2 previously established limited positions related to provided oral health services in public schools within the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.