Open letter opposing Sections 77-79 of Nevada SB495 that creates an alternative pathway to licensure without CODA accredited education

 

May 22, 2025

Dear ADHA Members, Colleagues and Members of the Healthcare Community,

On behalf of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), I am writing to express our concern and strong opposition to Sections 77-79 of the recently proposed Nevada Senate Bill 495, which suggests changes to the dental hygiene scope of practice that bypass established educational standards, and to ask for your help.

Sections 77-79 of SB495 propose an alternative licensure pathway that would allow individuals to obtain a dental hygiene license without graduating from a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Instead, candidates would be eligible after completing a Board-approved training course under the supervision of a licensed dentist, aligned with guidance from the American Dental Association. They would then take a dentist-conducted competency exam, a written exam, and a clinical exam— none of which would be subject to ADA approval. Provisional licenses could be issued before these requirements are fulfilled. This pathway would expand the practice settings and prescribing authority for individuals trained through this model.

We just learned that this legislation is being fast-tracked and will be heard today in Nevada’s state capitol. Nevada is the first but likely not the last state where this kind of legislation will be attempted. Is your state next? It’s time to mobilize. Nevada hygienists need your help to get Sections 77-79 stricken from SB495, and here’s what you can do right now, today.

  1. Call Governor Lombardo’s Office immediately and express your opposition to Sections 77-79 of Senate Bill 495 and request those sections be stricken. Reach the Governor’s Office at the State Capitol in Carson City at (775) 684-5670.
  2. Email the Governor’s Office via a .

As dedicated advocates for the highest standards in oral health and patient care, we are deeply alarmed by the implications of this legislation and its potential to erode the foundations of dental hygiene education. These alterations could lead to inconsistent care, insufficient oversight, and a fragmentation of the collaborative model that supports whole-person oral health. These shifts jeopardize the safety and well-being of the very patients we are committed to caring for.

The proposed changes in SB495 not only threaten the quality of care delivered by licensed dental hygienists but also reflect a concerning trend in the ongoing actions of the American Dental Association. The circumventing and dismantling of critical educational components put at risk the competencies required to provide safe, effective, evidence-based care—competencies that are grounded in rigorous academic and clinical training.

Accreditation standards are not arbitrary obstacles; they are essential safeguards that ensure practitioners are thoroughly prepared to deliver safe, high-quality and equitable care. To advocate for the removal of educational standards or CODA accreditation standards and process, is violating the essential duties of a professional association and its duty of care to protect the public from harmful healthcare practices.

As we face these challenges, it is imperative that we stand together and take action as a profession and as a community, advocating for policies that uphold educational integrity, protect patient safety, and ensure that all providers are fully prepared to meet the demands of modern oral health care. The ADHA is working closely with the NDHA to oppose this bill as written, reaching out to legislators, committees and engaging hygienists in Nevada and across the country to raise their voice.

The ADHA urges every member of the oral health community—educators, clinicians, students, administrators, and stakeholders—to join us in opposing this kind of legislation no matter what state it appears in. Stay vigilant and monitor legislation being considered in your state. Engage with your state’s ADHA constituent and state legislators, educate your communities, and raise your voice to help preserve the high standards that define your profession.

Thank you for your attention, commitment and efforts. Together, we can protect the future of oral health care by defending the principles that support quality education and the well-being of the communities we serve.

Urgently and respectfully,

Erin Haley-Hitz, RDH, BSDH, MS, FADHA, MAADH
President, American Dental Hygienists’ Association