CODHA Explorer March 2023
CODHA Lobbyists
Dianna Orf and Kathy Oatis
Did you know that CODHA employs two lobbyists who work on YOUR BEHALF to create and monitor legislation that benefits Colorado dental hygienists?
Now you know!
THIS IS JUST ONE TANGIBLE AND IMPORTANT REASON TO BE A MEMBER OF CODHA. Your dues PROTECT YOUR interests and YOUR profession by enabling us to employ two competent and experienced lobbyists working FOR YOU!
Meet Dianna Orf and Kathy Oatis. These two talented lobbyists have worked diligently on our behalf for over 20 years. They have worked within state legislation for more than 30 years. They not only toil behind the scenes, but also are present at the Capitol as much as possible to interact with Colorado legislators.
What IS a Lobbyist?
Lobbyists are professional advocates who work to influence policies, decisions and actions of government in order to change laws and regulations. And lobbying is 100% legal! Many types of groups employ lobbyists such as businesses, special interest groups, causes and organizations.
Lobbyists may work for companies, organizations such as CoDHA, or individuals. In Colorado, a professional lobbyist must register with the Secretary of State, disclose who their clients are, and the topics on which they are engaged to lobby. They must then report, on a monthly basis, what bills or topics they lobby on and how much they’re paid. Under certain circumstances, volunteer lobbyists must also register with the House of Representatives.
Any money given to a legislator whether by a company, organization, or individual must be given through a political action campaign committee and is subject to monetary limits. Lobbyists and groups that employ them may not make campaign donations during the legislative session.
Did you know that CODHA employs two lobbyists who work on YOUR BEHALF to create and monitor legislation that benefits Colorado dental hygienists?
Now you know!
THIS IS JUST ONE TANGIBLE AND IMPORTANT REASON TO BE A MEMBER OF CODHA. Your dues PROTECT YOUR interests and YOUR profession by enabling us to employ two competent and experienced lobbyists working FOR YOU!
Meet Dianna Orf and Kathy Oatis. These two talented lobbyists have worked diligently on our behalf for over 20 years. They have worked within state legislation for more than 30 years. They not only toil behind the scenes, but also are present at the Capitol as much as possible to interact with Colorado legislators.
What IS a Lobbyist?
Lobbyists are professional advocates who work to influence policies, decisions and actions of government in order to change laws and regulations. And lobbying is 100% legal! Many types of groups employ lobbyists such as businesses, special interest groups, causes and organizations.
Lobbyists may work for companies, organizations such as CoDHA, or individuals. In Colorado, a professional lobbyist must register with the Secretary of State, disclose who their clients are, and the topics on which they are engaged to lobby. They must then report, on a monthly basis, what bills or topics they lobby on and how much they’re paid. Under certain circumstances, volunteer lobbyists must also register with the House of Representatives.
Any money given to a legislator whether by a company, organization, or individual must be given through a political action campaign committee and is subject to monetary limits. Lobbyists and groups that employ them may not make campaign donations during the legislative session.
Successful Legislation (thanks to our Lobbyists and CODHA) and How You May Be Impacted
Peer Assistance for Dental Hygienists (SB 22-058)
In essence, this act creates a peer health assistance program for dental hygienists to assist other dental hygienists with physical, emotional, or psychological problems that may be detrimental to the individual’s ability to practice dental hygiene. The program is funded by an annual $15 fee paid upon initial licensure and upon reinstatement or renewal of the license.
If you or a colleague are dealing with issues that negatively impact the practice of dental hygiene—there is peer-based help available for you. A VERY tangible accomplishment by CODHA—since it could not have been accomplished without the lobbyists that we employ and who work on our behalf.
Regulation of Dental Therapists (SB 22-219)
Be ready! You may be asked about this by an employer or you may be working with a dental therapist in the future! Here is what you should know:
To become licensed in Colorado, a dental therapist must graduate from a school of dental therapy that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), the same ADA-affiliated entity that accredits both dental and dental hygiene training programs. SB22-219 provides some very limited acceptance of degrees from candidates that graduated from now-accredited educational programs that served Minnesota and Alaska prior to the CODA accreditation being available. CODA accreditation standards for dental therapy functions in Colorado assumes a minimum of three academic years of full-time instruction.
A dental therapist’s educational curriculum must include instruction on all procedures within the dental hygiene and dental therapy scope of practice in Colorado, and the applicant must successfully pass clinical examinations that assess both dental hygiene and dental therapy clinical skills. If a dental therapy applicant has already completed a CODA-accredited dental hygiene training program in the past, they may count these curriculum hours toward advanced standing in the additional dental therapy degree, essentially allowing credit transfers or a stackable credential model. If a candidate’s graduation from an accredited dental therapy school was more than 12 months ago, they must meet continued competency requirements and show that they have been actively practicing or teaching dental therapy for at least one year in the previous five years.
A dental therapist must also receive 30 hours of continuing education every two years, consistent with requirements for dentists and dental hygienists.
Colorado may begin licensing dental therapists in the state starting May 1, 2023 if the Colorado Dental Board has completed all required rulemaking. Dental therapists may only practice under a dentist’s supervision. Dental therapists can provide two tiers of tasks – a tier with heightened supervision and a tier with more relaxed supervision requirements.
How Did our Lobbyists Accomplish the Passage of These Important Acts?
This is a complicated process that it is important for us to understand! Read The Explorer in the Monday Update next month (April 10th issue) to learn more about how our terrific lobbyists do what they do!
Thank you, Dianna and Kathy!
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