SB 1491 Summary

• Amends the Dental Practice Act to modernize board meeting requirements, clarify dental assistant permitting and licensing procedures, and require 2-hour courses on dental practice law and 8-hour courses on infection control for dental assistants and permit applicants.

• Renames the State Board of Optometry to California State Board of Optometry and modifies optometrist license expiration requirements and unlawful practice definitions.

• Updates the Respiratory Care Practice Act to require passage of the National Board for Respiratory Care's Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination and Clinical Simulation Examination, with examination requirements also applied to reinstatement petitions.

• Modifies veterinary medicine examination procedures to allow state board exams to be administered by regular mail, email, or both methods instead of mail only.

• Changes references from "intern" to "associate" in marriage and family therapist and professional clinical counselor licensing; repeals repeal date for transitional education provisions; allows professional clinical counselor applicants to substitute field study experience for required practicum; repeals authorization for marriage and family therapists to operate group advertising and referral services.