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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho updates dental hygiene practice rules, supervision requirements, and licensing standards
Last action · March 3, 2026: Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare
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What This Bill Proposed
Idaho House Bill 805 revises the legal definition and authorized procedures for dental hygienists, repeals former authorization rules, and sets new licensing and disciplinary standards for dental practitioners starting July 1, 2026.
Licensed dental hygienists gain updated procedural authorities and independent practice guidelines, while dentists face revised disciplinary rules, administrative penalties up to $10,000, and restrictions on limiting patient complaints.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists receive updated statutory authorizations for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning, as well as clear independent practice and referral guidelines.
Dentists
Dentists are subject to revised disciplinary grounds, administrative penalties up to $10,000 per violation, and prohibitions against requiring patients to sign non-complaint agreements.
Dental Patients
Patients receive explicit rights to be referred to a dentist upon request or when care exceeds a hygienist's training, and are protected from agreements limiting board complaints.
Key Facts
- The practice of dental hygiene is redefined to include cleaning, polishing, periodontal therapy, administering anesthetics, and performing diagnostic tests.
- Section 54-904, Idaho Code, is repealed and replaced with new authorization rules allowing dental hygienists to perform assessments, diagnoses, and treatment planning.
- Independent dental hygienists are required to refer patients to a dentist for care beyond their training or upon request.
- Unlicensed practice of dental hygiene or practicing without required dentist supervision is classified as a misdemeanor punishable by fines between $100 and $300 or county jail time from 30 days to 6 months.
Show all 6 facts
- The board may issue administrative penalties not exceeding $10,000 per violation against dentists for specified disciplinary grounds.
- Dentists are prohibited from requiring patients to sign agreements limiting their right to file a complaint with the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does House Bill 805 become effective?
What penalties apply to individuals practicing dental hygiene without a license?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 3, 2026CommitteeReported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare
- Mar 2, 2026IntroducedIntroduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Dental Hygiene Scope
The bill repeals old general supervision authorization rules and enacts explicit statutory provisions allowing dental hygienists to conduct assessments, diagnoses, and treatment planning.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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