Minnesota legislators are considering a bill that would allow the state to join an interstate compact to alleviate workforce shortages.
The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact is a legal agreement between states that aims to create reciprocity and reduce the barriers to license portability. The compact establishes a pathway for dentists and dental hygienists to work in participating states without having to obtain individual licenses for each state, according to a March 10 news release from the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus.
Minnesota would be the sixth state to join the compact after Tennessee, Iowa, Washington, Virginia and Wisconsin. Twelve other states have legislation pending to join the compact, including Nebraska, Colorado, Maine and Alabama.
The Minnesota Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved the bill March 7 and referred it to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.