No. CS/SB 1136
Filed under Healthcare.
Dental Screenings for K-12 Students; Defining the term “dental screening”; authorizing dental screenings provided under the school health services program to be conducted after written notice and an opportunity for a parent or guardian to opt out; clarifying district school board parent notification requirements for dental screenings; providing that the parental consent requirement does not apply to dental screenings, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDA new definition treats 'dental screening' as a brief, noninvasive visual look in a student's mouth to spot obvious problems -- not a diagnosis, treatment, or exam using instruments that touch tissue.
Schools may give these screenings to a student once parents get written notice and a real chance to request an exemption, instead of collecting a signed consent form for each one.
The state's general law requiring parental consent for school health care services is amended to say it does not cover dental screenings at all, so this narrower notice-and-opt-out rule controls instead.
Nothing changes for screenings that go beyond a simple visual look. Any invasive procedure still needs the parent or guardian's written consent obtained before the screening is performed, and other health and safety laws remain fully in force.
AIA dental screening under the preventive dental program may be given to a student after parents receive the required written notice and a reasonable chance to request an exemption in writing, without a separate signed consent for the screening itself.
AIThe statute requiring parental consent for school health care services now states it does not apply to dental screenings run under the preventive dental program, leaving the notice-and-exemption process in section 381.0056 as the only requirement.
AIA new definition limits 'dental screening' to a visual inspection for obvious signs of dental disease, explicitly excluding diagnosis, treatment, or the use of instruments that penetrate tissue, and excluding it from the definition of an invasive screening.
AIIf a screening reveals a need for a more invasive procedure, the school must still obtain the parent or guardian's written consent before performing it, and disease-control and sanitation laws remain fully in force.
AIThe district school board's annual health-services notice to parents must also reflect that a dental screening under the preventive dental program may be provided under the notice-and-exemption process in section 381.0056.