NC SB 382 – A Town Hall

On March 28, 2023 Senate Bill 382 was sponsored by the NCDS and introduced to the NC legislature by Senators Perry, Adcock, Corbin, and Johnson.  This bill, which has already passed the Senate and now is in committee in the House, opens the NC dental practice act and makes a number of important changes.

The bill addresses important topics such as instructors licenses, licensing of practitioners in other states, and disciplinary actions. But the provision also includes enhanced powers for the NC Board of Dental Examiners (NCBDE) to compel applicants for licensure or existing licensees to undergo mental health examinations and/or testing for unspecified justifications at any time with the full force of the NCBDE behind it. The language of this bill as well as that in the NCBDE’s new Settlement Conference protocol are important changes that potentially impact a licensee’s ability to defend themselves.