HB522 Alabama 2010 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Cam Ward
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2010
Title: Dental Examiners of Alabama, Board of, fees, quorum, disciplinary actions, appeals, Secs. 34-9-10, 34-9-16, 34-9-41, 34-9-42 am'd.
Summary: HB522 modernizes the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama by tightening licensure pathways, updating fees for dental hygienists and mobile dentistry, and tightening board governance and disciplinary processes.
What This Bill Does
The bill adds and clarifies licensure options (credentials, cross-state/special licenses) with detailed eligibility criteria, including active practice, good standing, background checks, and jurisprudence and DEA verifications. It creates a special cross-state license to practice dentistry across state lines, with a three-year term and renewal, and outlines reciprocal licensure concepts. It updates and broadens the Board’s fee structure for many functions (including for hygienists and mobile dentistry) and strengthens governance provisions such as quorum, annual meetings, reporting, and financial controls.

Who It Affects
Dental professionals seeking Alabama licensure or licensure by credential (dentists and dental hygienists) — subject to new criteria (practice experience, good standing, background checks, interviews, jurisprudence and DEA verifications) and new or updated fees.
The Board of Dental Examiners and Alabama public — changes to governance (quorum, officer roles, annual meeting logistics, bonding, audits, and reporting) and disciplinary/appeals processes, with broader oversight and potential effect on public protection.

Key Provisions
Licensure by credentials for dentists/dental hygienists includes requirements such as at least five years (or 5,000 hours) of active practice immediately preceding the application, a current license in good standing in another state with equivalent standards, verification of absence of pending disciplinary actions, agreement to be interviewed, successful jurisprudence exam, DEA/state-board confirmations that DEA actions aren’t pending, affidavits from two licensed peers, an official school transcript, graduation from an approved school, no hospital privileges issues, no felony or moral turpitude convictions, and potential additional criteria (peer reviews, background checks, CE, CPR, etc.).
Specialty licensure rules require meeting ADA-approved specialty standards, restricting practice to announced specialty areas unless and until passing the general dentistry exam, and clarifying path for switching between specialty and general practice.
Special purposes cross-state license allows a dentist licensed in another state to practice across Alabama state lines, with conditions including current unrestricted license in another state, no disciplinary actions, an application and fee, and a certificate of qualification if prior actions indicate the dentist is not a public threat.
A three-year special purpose license to practice across state lines is issued with renewal, and automatic revocation if not renewed; renewal requires meeting criteria in (e) to remain eligible.
Reciprocal/return-to-state licensure provisions authorize the board to determine which states have reciprocal licensure that meets Alabama’s qualifications, enabling Alabama dentists to obtain cross-state licenses as a precondition for certain licenses.
If an applicant does not qualify under these provisions but has passed an approved exam and holds a current out-of-state license, the board may permit licensure upon payment of a fee and may require an exam at its discretion.
Fees for many board functions (application, examinations, credentials/licensure, regional exams, annual registration, reinstatement, hygiene programs, mobile dentistry, and related permits) are set in a defined range, enabling the board to set these without formal rulemaking, including specific adjustments for dental hygienists and mobile dentistry.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Dental Examiners of Alabama, Board of