S.B. 158

1

ORAL HEALTH TASK FORCE
2 2002 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson
5 This act creates the Oral Health Task Force. The act specifies membership, duties, and
6 reporting responsibilities for the task force. The act appropriates $37,000 from the General
7 Fund for fiscal year 2002-03 to fund the task force and repeals the task force on November
8 30, 2002.
9 This act enacts uncodified material.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
11 Section 1. Oral Health Task Force -- Creation -- Membership -- Quorum --
12 Compensation -- Staff.
13 (1) There is created the Oral Health Task Force consisting of the following 11 members:
14 (a) three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
15 two of whom may be from the same political party;
16 (b) five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
17 of Representatives, no more than three of whom may be from the same political party;
18 (c) a representative of the Utah Dental Association appointed by the director of the
19 association;
20 (d) the chair of the Utah Oral Health Steering Committee; and
21 (e) a dentist involved in Medicaid reimbursement policy implementation with the
22 Department of Health, appointed by the executive director of the Department of Health.
23 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
24 Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
25 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
26 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
27 (3) A majority of the members of the task force constitute a quorum. The action of a

28 majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the task force.
29 (4) (a) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force who are legislators shall be
30 paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
31 (b) A member of the task force who is not a legislator may not receive compensation for
32 their work associated with the task force.
33 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support to
34 the task force.
35 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
36 (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations on the following issues:
37 (a) options for improving the oral health status of low-income Utahns through increased
38 utilization and access to dental services for Medicaid recipients, especially children;
39 (b) options to increase participation of dentists in the Medicaid program by increasing the
40 Medicaid reimbursement for dental services;
41 (c) programs to implement a case management system to encourage more appropriate and
42 timely access of Medicaid dental benefits by Medicaid recipients; and
43 (d) implementation of an early intervention, prevention, and education program aimed at
44 increasing awareness of the importance of oral health among the low-income population.
45 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation shall be presented to the Health and
46 Human Services Interim Committee before November 30, 2002.
47 Section 3. Appropriation.
48 There is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 2002-03, a one-time
49 appropriation of:
50 (1) $4,500 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the task
51 force;
52 (2) $7,500 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses of
53 representatives on the task force; and
54 (3) $25,000 to the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel to pay for staffing
55 the task force.
56 Section 4. Repeal date.
57 This act is repealed November 30, 2002.

Legislative Review Note
as of 1-30-02 9:04 AM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel