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Dental practices that have been harmed or disadvantaged by the COVID-19 pandemic will find support through CDA-sponsored or supported bills signed into law in recent weeks by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Altogether, the governor signed 14 bills that help dentists practice better and expand access to oral health care.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 8 signed into law CDA-sponsored legislation that allows California-licensed dentists to apply for the requisite laboratory licensure to administer rapid COVID-19 tests in the dental office. The new law also gives dentists permanent authority to administer FDA-approved or FDA-authorized COVID-19 and flu vaccines.

A bill imposing a sales tax on e-cigarettes sold in California was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom and will take effect July 1, 2022. The new tax will provide ongoing funding for the CalHealthCares Student Loan Repayment Grant and other education and health care programs in the state.

A significant amount of activity is underway in the U.S. Congress focused on adding dental, vision and hearing benefits to the Medicare program, and the proposals are moving quickly. This communication from CDA supplements what the ADA, media and other sources have shared to give members background and context for the current activity and clarify some common misunderstandings.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 8 signed CDA-sponsored legislation that gives California dentists permanent authority to provide influenza and COVID-19 vaccines and obtain the required state registration to process rapid COVID-19 tests in the dental office.

Student loan borrowers in California have new protections against lenders’ and servicers’ unfair, deceptive and predatory practices under the state’s new Student Borrower Bill of Rights. 
 

Gov. Gavin Newsom on April 29 signed legislation that will provide a $6.2 billion tax cut to businesses that received a Paycheck Protection Program loan to pay for employee salaries, group health care benefits, other debt obligations and worker-protection costs related to COVID-19.

COVID-19’s impact on dentistry remains a top advocacy priority for CDA, and a new bill that CDA is co-sponsoring with the California Medical Association would help to safeguard health care providers’ financial stability during future state emergencies like the current pandemic.

Dentists and other small-business owners suffering ongoing pandemic hardship in California can receive immediate relief through a $7.6 billion legislative package signed into law yesterday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.