SECTION 1. Section 19 of chapter 13 of the General laws, as amended by section 1 and section 2 of chapter 530 of the acts of 2008, is hereby amended by adding the following three paragraphs - There shall be a sub-committee of dental hygienists, referred to in the following sections as “the subcommittee”, added to the board of registration in dentistry in the following sections called the “board”, consisting of 7 persons, each of whom shall be a legal resident of the commonwealth, 1 of whom shall be a dental hygienist who is a member of the board; 4 of whom shall be a graduate of a reputable school of dental hygiene and a reputable dental hygienist who has maintained a license to practice dental hygiene in the commonwealth for the 5 years preceding his appointment by the governor; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the public, subject to the provisions of section 9b; and 1 of whom shall be a dentist on the board, appointed by the president of the board. The governor shall appoint annually in April a successor to those members of the subcommittee whose terms are expiring in that month. Each of the 2 members of subcommittee who also are members of the board shall serve on the subcommittee for the duration of that member’s term on the board. The term of a member of the subcommittee who is not a member of the board is 3 years. No member shall serve more than 2 full terms. The subcommittee shall elect officers annually as deemed necessary to administer its duties and as provided in rules and regulations.

SECTION 2. The subcommittee shall have the authority to adopt recommendations regarding the practice, regulation, discipline, education, examination, and licensure of dental hygienists, subject to section 3, and shall carry out duties as assigned by the board. The subcommittee shall have no regulatory or disciplinary authority with regard to dentists, dental assistants, dental lab technicians, or any other auxiliary dental personnel. A simple majority of the board members currently serving shall constitute a quorum.

SECTION 3. The board shall ratify recommendations of the subcommittee at the first meeting of the board following adoption of the recommendations by the subcommittee, or at a meeting of the board specifically called for the purpose of board review and ratification of subcommittee recommendations. The board shall decline to ratify subcommittee recommendations only if the board makes a specific finding that a recommendation exceeds the jurisdiction or expands the scope of the committee beyond the authority granted in section 2, creates an undue financial impact on the board, or is not supported by the record. The board shall pay the necessary expenses of the subcommittee and of the board in implementing subcommittee recommendations ratified by the board.