Sec. 20-103a. State Dental Commission.

(a) The State Dental Commission shall consist of nine members appointed by the Governor, subject to the provisions of section 4-9a, six of whom shall be practitioners in dentistry residing in this state who are in good standing in their profession and three of whom shall be public members. No member of said commission shall be an elected or appointed officer of a professional association of members of his profession or have been such an officer for the year immediately preceding his appointment. The Commissioner of Public Health, with advice and assistance from the Dental Commission, may issue regulations to implement the provisions of this chapter, and to insure proper dental care and the protection of public health, considering the convenience and welfare of the patient, methods recommended by the canon of ethics of the Connecticut State Dental Association and the American Dental Association and accepted health standards as promulgated by local health ordinances and state statutes and regulations.

(b) The Governor shall appoint a chairperson from among such members. Said commission shall meet at least once during each calendar quarter and at such other times as the chairman deems necessary. Special meetings shall be held on the request of a majority of the commission after notice in accordance with the provisions of section 1-225. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. Members shall not be compensated for their services. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from office. Minutes of all meetings shall be recorded by the commission. No member shall participate in the affairs of the commission during the pendency of any disciplinary proceedings by the commission against such member. No member shall serve for more than two full consecutive terms commencing after July 1, 1980. Said commission shall (1) hear and decide matters concerning suspension or revocation of licensure, (2) adjudicate complaints filed against practitioners and (3) impose sanctions where appropriate.

(P.A. 78-303, S. 87, 136; P.A. 80-484, S. 38, 174, 176; P.A. 81-471, S. 27, 71; P.A. 85-398; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12, S. 21, 55; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 94-149, S. 16; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 98-143, S. 9, 24.)

History: P.A. 80-484 made appointments subject to Sec. 4-9a, deleted requirement that dentist and dental hygienist members have practiced in state for 10 and 5 years, respectively, deleted provision requiring July meeting and allowing commission to regulate announcements, signs, directory listings, etc. and added prohibition against members holding office in professional association within 1 year of their appointment in Subsec. (a) and replaced provisions of Subsec. (b) re appointments from lists of nominees submitted by professional associations and re filling vacancies with provisions re meetings, expense reimbursement, members' attendance and duties; P.A. 81-471 changed “elected official” in Subsec. (a) to “elected or appointed officer” as of July 1, 1981; P.A. 85-398 amended Subsec. (a) to increase the number of dental hygienists on the dental commission from one to two and public members from three to four; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12 in Subsec. (b) eliminated expense reimbursement for board members; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-149 amended Subsec. (a) to reduce number of commission members from eleven to nine, to increase the number of dentists from five to six and to decrease the number of public members from four to three; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-143 added quorum provision in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1998.

Notation

See Sec. 1-24 re persons empowered to administer oaths.

See Sec. 4-9a for definition of “public member”.

See Sec. 4-10 re appointment of boards and commission members from lists provided to Governor.

See Secs. 19a-8 to 19a-12, inclusive, re powers and duties of boards and commissions within Department of Public Health.