The bill amends the Colorado oral health community grants
program administered by the department of public health and environment (department) to award grants for the implementation of oral health screening in public schools through the oral health screening pilot program (pilot program) created in the bill.
The purpose of the pilot program is to provide oral health
screening to students in kindergarten, first grade, or second grade (early grades) at a minimum of 5 pilot program sites at school districts or schools of a school district, charter schools, institute charter schools, or boards of cooperative education services (local education providers) to demonstrate the effectiveness of oral health screening in early grades of reducing dental decay, the costs of providing oral health screening to students, and best practices for providing oral health screening that could be scaled statewide.
The department, in conjunction with the department of education,
shall select local education providers as pilot program participants to each receive a grant of up to $20,000 per year for 2 years to screen students in one early grade.
The bill includes requirements for the pilot program regarding: •
Qualifications for participating oral health screeners;
•
The oral health screening;
•
The selection by the department of an oral health screening tool;
•
Notice to parents, including the ability of parents to refuse oral health screening for their children;
•
Reporting to parents of the outcome of the oral health screening and information and referral if dental concerns are identified for a student; and
•
The protection of confidential health data.
A participating oral health screener shall provide data and
information to the department for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program, including the number of students screened and oral health concerns identified, as well as other relevant data and information as determined by the department.
The department shall submit a report of the findings to the health
and human services committees of the house of representatives and of the senate, or their successor committees.
The pilot program repeals July 1, 2028, after the screening and
reporting on the pilot program is completed.
