House Study Bill 21
SENATE/HOUSE FILE
BY (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC HEALTH BILL)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act requiring children to have a dental screening as a
2 condition of enrollment in elementary or high school and
3 providing an effective date.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 1211XD 82
6 nh/sh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 135.17 DENTAL SCREENING OF
1 2 CHILDREN.
1 3 1. a. A person shall not be enrolled in a public or
1 4 nonpublic elementary school without presenting evidence upon
1 5 initial enrollment in the school of having, at a minimum, a
1 6 dental screening performed within the prior year by a licensed
1 7 physician as defined in chapter 148 or 150, or a licensed
1 8 dental hygienist or dentist as defined in chapter 153. A
1 9 person shall not be enrolled in a public or nonpublic high
1 10 school without presenting evidence upon initial enrollment in
1 11 the school of having, at a minimum, a dental screening
1 12 performed within the prior year by a licensed dental hygienist
1 13 or dentist as defined in chapter 153.
1 14 b. A person performing a dental screening required by this
1 15 section shall record the fact of having conducted the
1 16 screening, and such additional information required by the
1 17 department, on uniform forms developed by the department in
1 18 cooperation with the department of education. The form shall
1 19 include a space for the person performing the screening to
1 20 summarize any condition that may indicate a need for special
1 21 services.
1 22 c. The department shall specify the procedures that
1 23 constitute a dental screening and authorize a waiver signed by
1 24 a licensed physician, dental hygienist, or dentist for a
1 25 person who is unduly burdened by the screening requirement.
1 26 2. Each public and nonpublic school shall give notice of
1 27 the dental screening requirement to parents of students
1 28 enrolled or to be enrolled in the school at least ninety days
1 29 before the start of the school year in the manner prescribed
1 30 by the department.
1 31 3. A person may be provisionally enrolled in a public or
1 32 nonpublic elementary or high school if the person is in the
1 33 process of obtaining the required dental screening.
1 34 4. Each local board shall furnish the department, within
1 35 sixty days after the start of the school year, evidence that
2 1 each person enrolled in any public or nonpublic school within
2 2 the local board's jurisdiction has met the dental screening
2 3 requirement in this section.
2 4 5. The department shall adopt rules to administer this
2 5 section.
2 6 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect July 1,
2 7 2008.
2 8 EXPLANATION
2 9 This bill requires all children, prior to their initial
2 10 enrollment in a public or nonpublic elementary or high school,
2 11 to obtain a dental screening. The bill requires the person
2 12 performing the screening to complete a uniform form regarding
2 13 the screening and requires the department of public health to
2 14 specify the procedures constituting a screening and to
2 15 authorize a waiver for persons who are unduly burdened by the
2 16 requirement.
2 17 The bill requires schools to give notice to parents of the
2 18 screening requirement. The bill also provides for provisional
2 19 enrollment if a child is in the process of obtaining a
2 20 screening. Each local board of health is required to furnish
2 21 the department with evidence that all children enrolled in the
2 22 schools within the board's jurisdiction have met the screening
2 23 requirement.
2 24 The bill takes effect July 1, 2008.
2 25 LSB 1211XD 82
2 26 nh:rj/sh/8.1