CaliforniaCalifornia would license up to 30 dentists from Mexico for clinics
Eligible dentists from Mexico could receive three-year California licenses to work at qualifying clinics if philanthropic funds cover program costs.
What it does
The board would issue three-year, nonrenewable dentistry licenses to up to 30 eligible dentists from Mexico. Applicants must meet education, testing, licensing, English, and training rules.
Participants could work only at federally qualified health centers that meet quality and shortage-area rules. Those centers must provide equal pay and benefits and arrange 10 patient-care reviews per dentist every six months.
A review of care and patient access would begin one year after the program starts. Foundations must pay program costs, and the Legislature intends implementation within six months after at least $200,000 is received.
Argument forIf philanthropic funds cover the costs, qualified dentists could join participating clinics and help more patients get dental care.
Argument againstCenters may need to spend staff time on added reviews and records, and philanthropic funding must cover program costs before the program can start.
More detail
The board would issue a three-year, nonrenewable dentistry license to each eligible applicant it accepts. Applicants must graduate from a dental program accredited by one of two named Mexican bodies, pass a Mexican dental association examination in specified clinical skills, hold a Mexican professional license, meet an English test score, and complete the required orientation. The program is limited to 30 participating dentists, with an alternate list used to fill vacancies. Applicants must meet the education, examination, licensing, English, orientation, and identification requirements in the law; a limited exception allows an applicant without a Social Security or tax identification number to qualify after seeking a three-year visa and accompanying Social Security number. Before practicing, a participant must complete an eight-hour infection-control course and pass the California Dental Law and Ethics Examination. The three-year license period begins when the board issues the license, or, for applicants using the visa exception, when the board notifies them they may practice.
Participants could work only for eligible federally qualified health centers, which must provide the same salary and benefits as for other employees and arrange added reviews of patient care. The work restriction applies to every program participant and the employing federally qualified health center. Centers must have a health or dental professional shortage area in their service area, dental quality protocols, and qualifying accreditation or affiliation. Centers must conduct 10 secondary reviews of randomly selected patient encounters for each participant every six months with a California dental school, and send the school complete records. Centers must provide participants the employment benefits, salary, and policies they provide other current employees, including malpractice insurance. The reviews must occur every six months while a center employs a participant.
The program must be evaluated beginning one year after it starts, and philanthropic foundations must pay the evaluation and program administration costs. The evaluation covers the new dentist program and its participants and host health centers. The evaluation must examine care quality, participants' fit with California standards and clinics, patient responses, cultural and language services, and changes in dental visits and patients served. The Legislature intends the board to implement the program within six months after it receives at least $200,000 in philanthropic funds. The evaluation begins one year after the program commences. The six-month implementation goal is measured from receipt of at least $200,000 in philanthropic funds.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 20Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 363, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 20Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 14Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1:30 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 1
- Vote recorded AB 1307 Ávila Farías Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 31Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 1. Page 7033.).Major
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1307 Ávila Farías et al. By Caballero. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 31In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Aug 31Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).Passed Senate
- Aug 30Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 28Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 24Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 21Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 13Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).Minor
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 1Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jun 30From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 15).Major
- Jun 15
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 3From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.Major
- 2025
- Jul 14In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Jul 8From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.Major
- Jun 11Referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.Minor
- Jun 3In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1307 Ávila Farías Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 2Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 4. Page 1886.)Passed Assembly
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 1.) (May 23).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 23In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.Minor
- Apr 3Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 2Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 1From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 1).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 10Referred to Com. on B. & P.Minor
- Feb 24Read first time.Minor
- Feb 22From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
- Feb 21Introduced. To print.Introduced
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