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HB2906 • 2026

dental board; membership

HB2906 - dental board; membership

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Ralph Heap
Last action
2026-03-24
Official status
Senate minority caucus
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide information on whether there are any costs associated with implementing this bill.

Dental Board Membership Requirements

This bill requires one of the six dentist members on the State Board of Dental Examiners to be an actively practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that one out of six licensed dentist members on the State Board of Dental Examiners must be a practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the time they are chosen by the governor.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The State Board of Dental Examiners
  • Licensed dentists who want to be on the board
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgeons

Terms To Know

State Board of Dental Examiners (BODEX)
A group that regulates dental professionals in Arizona.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
A doctor who does surgery on the mouth, face, and jaw area.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how it will affect current members of BODEX.
  • It is unclear if there are any costs for implementing this change.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Plain English: L KILBEY 2/19/2026 (602) 926-3848 ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FLOOR AMENDMENT EXPLANATION 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session Majority Research Staff HB 2906: dental board; membership HEAP FLOOR AMENDMENT 1.

  • L KILBEY 2/19/2026 (602) 926-3848 ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FLOOR AMENDMENT EXPLANATION 57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session Majority Research Staff HB 2906: dental board; membership HEAP FLOOR AMENDMENT 1.
  • Specifies that the oral and maxillofacial surgeon appointed to the State Board of Dental Examiners must be in active practice at the time of appointment.
  • Fifty-seventh Legislature Heap Second Regular Session H.B.
  • 2906 HEAP FLOOR AMENDMENT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AMENDMENTS TO H.B.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-24 Senate

    Senate minority caucus

  2. 2026-03-24 Senate

    Senate majority caucus

  3. 2026-03-23 Senate

    Senate consent calendar

  4. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Senate second read

  5. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate Rules: PFC

  6. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate Health and Human Services: DP

  7. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Senate first read

  8. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Transmitted to Senate

  9. 2026-02-26 House

    House third read passed

  10. 2026-02-24 House

    House committee of the whole

  11. 2026-02-17 House

    House minority caucus

  12. 2026-02-17 House

    House majority caucus

  13. 2026-02-16 House

    House consent calendar

  14. 2026-01-29 House

    House second read

  15. 2026-01-28 House

    House Rules: C&P

  16. 2026-01-28 House

    House Health & Human Services: DP

  17. 2026-01-28 House

    House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2906 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2906

dental board; membership

Purpose

Requires one of
the six licensed dentists on the State Board of Dental Examiners (BODEX) to be
an actively practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Background

BODEX regulates
and licenses dental professionals, including dentists, dental consultants,
dental hygienists, denturists and dental therapists. BODEX also reviews
complaints against licensees and business entities, conducts investigations and
is authorized to take disciplinary action for violations of state laws relating
to the profession. BODEX consists of 11 members, including: 1) six licensed
dentists; 2) two licensed dental hygienists; 3) two public members; and 4) one
business entity member. Members are appointed by the Governor for four-year
terms, beginning and ending on January 1 (
A.R.S.
� 32-1203
).

Oral
maxillofacial surgery is a specialized medical field that diagnoses and treats
diseases, injuries and defects in the head, neck, face and jaws, including the
hard and soft tissues of this region. Oral maxillofacial surgeons perform
procedures such as dental implants and reconstructive surgery, facial trauma
repair, cosmetic facial enhancements, corrective jaw surgery and cleft lip and
palate surgery
(
American
Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
).

There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.

Provisions

1.

Requires one of the six licensed dentist members of BODEX to be an oral
and maxillofacial surgeon in active practice at the time of appointment.

2.

Makes technical changes.

3.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

House Action

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Prepared by
Senate Research

March 16, 2026

MM/MS/hk

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB2906 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed

dental board;
membership

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2906

AN
ACT

Amending section 32-1203, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to the state board of dental examiners.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 32-1203, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
32-1203.

State board of dental examiners; members; qualifications; terms

A. The state board of dental examiners is
established consisting of six licensed dentists,
one of whom is
an oral and maxillofacial surgeon
who is in active
practice at the time of appointment,
two licensed dental hygienists, two
public members and one business entity member
. all
members shall be
appointed by the governor for a term of four years, to
begin and end on January 1.

B. Before appointment by the governor, a prospective
member of the board shall submit a full set of fingerprints to the governor for
the purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal records check pursuant to
section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. The department of public
safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of
investigation.

C. The business entity member and the public members
may participate in all board proceedings and determinations, except in
preparing, giving or grading examinations for licensure. Dental
hygienist board members may participate in all board proceedings and
determinations, except in preparing, giving and grading examinations that do
not relate to dental hygiene procedures.

D. A board member shall not serve more than two
consecutive terms.

E. For the purposes of this section, the business
entity member must be an employee or owner of a registered business entity pursuant
to section 32-1213 and may not include a person who is licensed pursuant
to this chapter.
END_STATUTE