Chapter 297, Laws of 2023 shall be known and cited as the dentist and dental hygienist compact. The purposes of this compact are to facilitate the interstate practice of dentistry and dental hygiene and improve public access to dentistry and dental hygiene services by providing dentists and dental hygienists licensed in a participating state the ability to practice in participating states in which they are not licensed. The compact does this by establishing a pathway for dentists and dental hygienists licensed in a participating state to obtain a compact privilege that authorizes them to practice in another participating state in which they are not licensed. The compact enables participating states to protect the public health and safety with respect to the practice of such dentists and dental hygienists, through the state’s authority to regulate the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene in the state. The compact:

(1) Enables dentists and dental hygienists who qualify for a compact privilege to practice in other participating states without satisfying burdensome and duplicative requirements associated with securing a license to practice in those states;

(2) Promotes mobility and addresses workforce shortages through each participating state’s acceptance of a compact privilege to practice in that state;

(3) Increases public access to qualified, licensed dentists and dental hygienists by creating a responsible, streamlined pathway for licensees to practice in participating states;

(4) Enhances the ability of participating states to protect the public’s health and safety;

(5) Does not interfere with licensure requirements established by a participating state;

(6) Facilitates the sharing of licensure and disciplinary information among participating states;

(7) Requires dentists and dental hygienists who practice in a participating state pursuant to a compact privilege to practice within the scope of practice authorized in that state;

(8) Extends the authority of a participating state to regulate the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene within its borders to dentists and dental hygienists who practice in the state through a compact privilege;

(9) Promotes the cooperation of participating states in regulating the practice of dentistry and dental hygiene within those states; and

(10) Facilitates the relocation of military members and their spouses who are licensed to practice dentistry or dental hygiene.