The Dentist and Dental Hygienist (DDH) Compact’s second meeting convened on January 21, 2025. The DDH Compact Commission continued the work of operationalizing the compact. Most of the conversation at the meeting focused on evaluating draft by-laws, electing an executive board, and hearing updates related to compact legislation and the CompactConnect data system. Georgia is not currently a member of the DDH Compact.

The Commission’s choice of data system will directly affect the everyday functions of the DDH Compact. Commissioners heard a report on CompactConnect, a joint data system project being undertaken by 3 other occupational licensure compacts. CompactConnect will be available for use some time in 2025, and the report indicated that it could offer advantages over other commercially available systems.

The DDH Compact Commission also discussed a pair of rules. The first rule discussed was a rule on rulemaking. The proposed rule sets out basic procedures for developing and adopting rules. Proposed procedures include requiring a majority vote for rule adoption, requirements for notice and a public hearing prior to the adoption of a rule, and standards for emergency rule making. The proposed rule on rulemaking does not deviate wildly from common practices states use to promulgate regulation. The rule was adopted as written with a minor amendment that added language about how data and other resources were used to draft the rule.

Commissioners also looked at a proposed rule that would further define the term clinical assessment. They ultimately decided to table the discussion to gather further information about states’ approaches to clinical assessment. Critics of the DDH Compact frequently highlight the broad definition of clinical assessment in the enabling legislation. As such, any action setting or revising that definition is of particular interest to groups with reservations about joining.

The draft rule that commissioners considered would have set a boundary on what could be considered a clinical assessment.  It would have explicitly stated that pathways allowing for licensure upon graduation from an accredited institution would not count toward the clinical assessment required to obtain a privilege to practice in compact states. After some discussion about the rule, and about defining clinical assessment in general, the group opted to wait for further information.

DDH Compact Commission’s First Executive Board

• Dr. Matthew Bistan (Wisconsin), Chair
• Bridgett Anderson (Minnesota), Vice Chair
• Corey Schaal (Ohio), Treasurer
• Jamie Sacksteder (Virginia), Secretary

Future meetings will occur on the second Monday of odd months. GDA will continue to report on significant developments as the DDH Compact operationalizes.