HB 682 Summary

• Establishes the "Hope for a Smile Program" to provide dental hygiene services to Ohio school-age children, targeting indigent and uninsured students, through buses staffed by dentists, dental hygienists, and educational program faculty

• Creates three regional dental service buses (northern, central, southern) that visit schools prioritizing high numbers of low-income children, with services provided in accordance with professional licensing authority

• Funds the program through cigarette and tobacco tax receipts, donations, Medicaid and insurance reimbursements, grants, and workforce development funding

• Allows dentists and dental hygienists providing free services to deduct the fair market value on state income tax returns, and recognizes student participation as a workforce development initiative

• Establishes a Hope for a Smile Advisory Council to oversee implementation and requires annual reporting to the governor and general assembly on program progress, cost savings, and economic development impact