Nebraska joins licensure portability compact
Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact welcomes 12th state
Nebraska became the 12th state to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact after Gov. Jim Pillen signed Legislative Bill 148 into law April 14.
The compact supports license portability by allowing dental professionals to practice in all participating states instead of obtaining individual licenses in the states they want to practice.
Jessica Meeske, D.D.S., president of the Nebraska Dental Association, has been an advocate for licensure portability since she was a dental student. She served as president of the American Student Dental Association in 1995-96, and during that time, spoke with clinical licensure testing agencies and ADA leaders about how to make the licensing process more streamlined and fair for dental students.
“Watching [L.B. 148] pass was such a joyful moment for me and then to reflect on the 27 years ago, being a dental student leader myself, feeling like the world of dental licensure was so ingrained in their tradition, that change would never happen. I guess you just have to be patient and persistent and keep asking the tough questions,” Dr. Meeske said.
Dr. Meeske said in 2024 the Nebraska Dental Association was contacted by deans at the Creighton University School of Dentistry and University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry to come up with a plan to make the licensure process less repetitive for students who may need to apply for licenses in multiple states or who changed their mind about what state to practice in.
“The [Nebraska Dental Association] recognized that new dentists are going to be more mobile than older generations. Therefore, they need to get licensed with fewer steps and costs all while still making sure they were safe to practice on patients,” she said.
The first proposed licensure bill was a rewrite of the old statute dating back to the 1980’s and had not kept up with the changing times, exams and dentist demographics, according to Dr. Meeske. After a stakeholder meeting, the bill was ultimately folded into the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact bill. Gov. Pillen expressed support for expanding licensure in the state, which prior to the bill’s passage only allowed Central Regional Dental Testing Service. The new bill allows multiple licensure exams.
L.B. 148 passed on April 10 in a 47-0 vote, while the Nebraska Dental Association had its annual meeting, and Gov. Pillen signed it into law April 14.
"Joining the licensure portability compact is a win for Nebraskans. It creates increased opportunity for dental professionals to practice in our state, strengthening our health care system, our economy, and the health and well-being of all Nebraskans," Gov. Pillen told ADA News.
Nebraska joins Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, Kansas, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin in enacting the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. To learn more about the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, visit ddhcompact.org.
