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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR King

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/13/07

HB 711

SHORT TITLE Dental Services for Underserved Children

SB

ANALYST Geisler

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$100.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates: SB 582

Relates to: several bills

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 711 would appropriate $100,000 from the general fund to the Department of Health

(DOH) in Fiscal Year 2008 to contract with a nonprofit company to provide dental services,

including comprehensive examinations, oral cancer screening, x-rays, cleaning, fluoride

treatment and sealants, and oral health education to underserved children statewide who have

little access to dental professionals and who are at high risk for dental disease. Any unexpended

or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of the Fiscal Year 2008 shall revert to the General

Fund.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

Both the executive and legislative recommendations include in the PHD base $750,000 for dental

contract services and $231,000 to the University of New Mexico. In addition, both

recommendations include $90,000 for dental care and support (client driven, eligibility based)

House Bill 711 – Page

2

services. The Legislative Finance Committee has also recommended $250,000 for oral health

services expansion.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The need for oral health care is the most prevalent unmet health care need among children and

adolescents (Child and Adolescent Health Issues, 2004, National Maternal and Child Oral Health

Resource Center). Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease, and is five times more

common than asthma. Annually, 56 million school hours are lost as a result of dental disease

among children.

The 2000 New Mexico Children’s Oral Health Survey has identified that 65% of New Mexico

children have experienced tooth decay and 37% have untreated tooth decay. The New Mexico

Oral Health Surveillance System Report has identified that 27% of 3rd grade children did not

obtain needed dental care within a given year, and 10% of 3rd grade children have never been to

a dentist.

The intent of HB 711 is to expand existing dental health services to underserved children

statewide who have little access to dental professionals and who are at high risk for dental

disease.

DUPLICATION AND RELATIONSHIP

HB 711 duplicates SB 582. As noted under fiscal impact, the Legislative Finance Committee

recommendation for the FY08 DOH budget includes an expansion of $250,000 thousand for

children’s oral health. HB 711 relates to:

•

HB 102, which would appropriate funds to develop and implement a rural oral health

intervention and prevention program for children up to four years of age who are members of

the Navajo Nation;

•

HB 242, which would create the Dental Hygienist Student Loan for Service Act;

•

SB 35 which would appropriate start-up funds for dental hygiene programs to various

educational institutions in the State;

•

SB 173, which would appropriate funds to operate mobile dental health clinics in southern

New Mexico.

GG/csd