Aanestad Patient Safety Bill Passes Final Committee Test - Unanimous Support For SB 1178 In Assembly Appropriations Committee, California

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 08 Jul 2008 - 2:00 PST

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SB 1178, authored by Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley), is heading for an Assembly Floor vote after passing its final committee test in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Senator Aanestad introduced SB 1178 earlier this year to protect the safety of dental consumers, and the measure is closely related to SB 252 , which Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law last year.

SB 252, also authored by Senator Aanestad, required that registered sex offenders be prohibited from licensure by the Dental Board of California and also required the Dental Board to revoke existing licenses for any individual who was required to register as a sex offender.

However, SB 252 applied only to those individuals who had been convicted of sex offenses under California state law. The new measure, SB 1178, will extend the same set of requirements to dental professionals who have been convicted of sex offenses under federal law.

"I'm pleased with the support that I have received from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I'm hopeful for similar success during the upcoming Assembly Floor vote," said Senator Aanestad. "The unanimous support I've received so far sends a strong message that dental patients have a right to be protected from dangerous predators in California."

Senator Aanestad introduced both SB 252 and SB 1178 following high profile cases where patients had been victimized by physicians who were unable to respect appropriate boundaries and limit their behavior. Two of the cases involved physicians who were actually convicted of sexual offenses, but were still allowed to resume their medical practices.

The Aanestad measure requires the Dental Board of California (DBC) to deny licensure to individuals who are required to register as sex offenders under federal law and closes loopholes that allow the reinstatement of licenses for sex offenders. The bill places a number of requirements on the DBC:

- It requires the DBC to deny a dental license to an individual who is required to register as a sex offender under federal law.

- It prohibits the DBC from staying the revocation of a registered sex offender's license and placing the license on probation.

- It prohibits the DBC from reinstating or reissuing a registered sex offender's dental license.

- Finally, it prohibits the DBC from issuing a stay of license denial for a registered sex offender and placing that license on probation.

Senator Sam Aanestad