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SB131 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALLOWING DENTAL HYGIENISTS TO ADMINISTER LOCAL ANESTHESIA.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALLOWING DENTAL HYGIENISTS TO ADMINISTER LOCAL ANESTHESIA.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Last action
2025-08-25
Official status
Signed by Governor
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALLOWING DENTAL HYGIENISTS TO ADMINISTER LOCAL ANESTHESIA.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALLOWING DENTAL HYGIENISTS TO ADMINISTER LOCAL ANESTHESIA.

What This Bill Does

  • AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALLOWING DENTAL HYGIENISTS TO ADMINISTER LOCAL ANESTHESIA.
  • This Act expands the definition of the “practice of dental hygiene” under Title 24 (Professions and Occupations) to include the administration of local anesthesia under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist and directs the State Board of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene (“Board”) to establish the necessary requirements and standards.
  • Currently, Delaware is the only state in the nation that does not allow dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia.
  • Delaware also suffers from a shortage of dental care providers, leaving many Delawareans unable to access timely, quality, affordable dental care.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-25 Delaware General Assembly

    Signed by Governor

  2. 2025-06-24 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 VACANT

  3. 2025-06-17 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability)) in House with 5 On Its Merits

  4. 2025-06-11 Delaware General Assembly

    Assigned to Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability) Committee in House

  5. 2025-06-10 Delaware General Assembly

    Passed By Senate. Votes: 18 YES 3 ABSENT

  6. 2025-05-21 Delaware General Assembly

    Reported Out of Committee (Health & Social Services) in Senate with 7 Favorable

  7. 2025-05-09 Delaware General Assembly

    Re-Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in Senate

  8. 2025-05-08 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Legislative Oversight & Sunset Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ALLOWING DENTAL HYGIENISTS TO ADMINISTER LOCAL ANESTHESIA.
This Act expands the definition of the “practice of dental hygiene” under Title 24 (Professions and Occupations) to include the administration of local anesthesia under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist and directs the State Board of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene (“Board”) to establish the necessary requirements and standards. Currently, Delaware is the only state in the nation that does not allow dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia. Delaware also suffers from a shortage of dental care providers, leaving many Delawareans unable to access timely, quality, affordable dental care. Administering local anesthesia is a task that properly trained dental hygienists can do safely, as shown by the experiences of every other state. Expanding dental hygienists’ scope of practice to allow them to administer local anesthesia under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist will enable them to provide a broader range of services to patients and take some of the burden off the