CA AB 966
deadDental Practice Act: foreign dental schools.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
Quick answers
Did CA AB 966 pass?
No. CA AB 966 did not pass — it was defeated or died in the legislative process (2026-02-02). Latest recorded action (2026-02-02): From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
What is CA AB 966 about?
Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of dentists by the Dental Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires an applicant for licensure to meet specified requirements, including, among others, furnishing satisfactory evidence of having graduated from a dental college approved by the board or by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (CODA) . Prior law provided for the approval of foreign dental schools by the board. Beginning January 1, 2024, existing law requires foreign dental schools seeking approval by the board to complete the international consultative and accreditation process with CODA. Notwithstanding that requirement, existing law maintained the approval of any foreign dental schools whose program was renewed by the board prior to January 1, 2020, through any date between January 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026, through that renewal date. This bill would instead maintain the approval of any foreign dental school whose program was approved by the board prior to January 1, 2024, until the school has been issued a denial of accreditation by CODA and the school does not appeal, the school has been issued a denial by CODA following the completion of the appeals process, or the school withdraws its application for accreditation by CODA, provided the school applies for accreditation on or before January 1, 2026, and updates the board on the accreditation process, as specified. The bill would specify that a graduate of a foreign dental school with this extended approval is eligible for licensure to practice dentistry pursuant to the requirements of the Dental Practice Act, including graduates who were enrolled in the school at the time the extended approval expires, provided they were enrolled on or after July 1, 2025. The bill would require an applicant who is a graduate of a foreign dental school with this extended approval to agree to practice dentistry full time in one of 5 specified practice settings for at least 2 years within the first 3 years of licensure. The bill would require the board, as part of the board's first sunset review report following January 1, 2032, to report specified information regarding workforce data of licensees and graduates of foreign dental schools with extended approval, as specified. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to the shortage or maldistribution of dentists in California.
Who sponsors CA AB 966?
Carrillo is the primary sponsor of CA AB 966.
Description
Existing law, the Dental Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of dentists by the Dental Board of California within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires an applicant for licensure to meet specified requirements, including, among others, furnishing satisfactory evidence of having graduated from a dental college approved by the board or by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (CODA) . Prior law provided for the approval of foreign dental schools by the board. Beginning January 1, 2024, existing law requires foreign dental schools seeking approval by the board to complete the international consultative and accreditation process with CODA. Notwithstanding that requirement, existing law maintained the approval of any foreign dental schools whose program was renewed by the board prior to January 1, 2020, through any date between January 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026, through that renewal date. This bill would instead maintain the approval of any foreign dental school whose program was approved by the board prior to January 1, 2024, until the school has been issued a denial of accreditation by CODA and the school does not appeal, the school has been issued a denial by CODA following the completion of the appeals process, or the school withdraws its application for accreditation by CODA, provided the school applies for accreditation on or before January 1, 2026, and updates the board on the accreditation process, as specified. The bill would specify that a graduate of a foreign dental school with this extended approval is eligible for licensure to practice dentistry pursuant to the requirements of the Dental Practice Act, including graduates who were enrolled in the school at the time the extended approval expires, provided they were enrolled on or after July 1, 2025. The bill would require an applicant who is a graduate of a foreign dental school with this extended approval to agree to practice dentistry full time in one of 5 specified practice settings for at least 2 years within the first 3 years of licensure. The bill would require the board, as part of the board's first sunset review report following January 1, 2032, to report specified information regarding workforce data of licensees and graduates of foreign dental schools with extended approval, as specified. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to the shortage or maldistribution of dentists in California.
- Introduced
- 2025-04-07
- Latest action
- 2026-02-02 — From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Carrilloauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2025-02-20
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
2025-02-21
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2025-03-10
Referred to Com. on B. & P.
referral-committee
2025-03-27
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-04-07
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-04-08
Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.
referral-committee
2026-01-31
Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
failure
2026-02-02
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
committee-passage,failure
Versions
Documents
Votes
Not provided by source.
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
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