The Legislative Budget Board met on August 23 to hear from the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners concerning the agency’s Legislative Appropriation Request for the 86th Session and key exceptional items. The TSBDE was asked questions by a joint panel of representatives from the Governor’s Office, Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Legislative Budget Board, and legislative committees. (Link to TSBDE LAR)
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics the committee took up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the hearing, but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Agency Presentation
Boyd Bush, Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
Leticia Kappel, Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
- SB 313 Sunset has led to changes in the request, rules changes, etc.; on track to comply with Sunset provisions
- Have had to deal with an increase in number of licenses & registrations, TSBDE also has to keep track of retirees, lapsed licenses, etc.
- Complaints are also experiencing some bottlenecks
- Exceptional Item 1: Anesthesia Inspection program funding
- Because TSBDE was not able to start Anesthesia program immediately, TSBDE did not receive the $371k start-up funds; Only received partial funding @~200k for the biennium for a $500k program
- TSBDE approved raising fees to fund contingency rider
- Exceptional Item 2: Merit salary increase
- Have lost 46 staff members since 2015, turnover is very high at TSBDE
- Have had complete turnover in the licensing division
- Exceptional Item 3: Half-Time Dentist
- To assist Dental Director in reviewing complaints in relation to the Dental Review Panel
- Had a similar part-time dentist position in previous years to help remove backlog
Questions from Joint Legislative/LBB Panel
- Question – Can you elaborate on the Anesthesia Inspection program, where are you on working with the Comptroller & are you able to implement for FY19?
- Yes, expecting to implement in September
- Comptroller has been aware of fee raise to cover contingency, watching situation
- Question – Were there start up costs associated with the program?
- Yes, there were start up costs that the agency needed to absorb
- Question – So TSBDE has adopted fees for the program, have you started charging this fee?
- Yes, just started collecting these fees/receiving revenue recently
- Question – Do you think that compensation or instability in the TSBDE is the bigger factor in turnover?
- Stability factor is for those doing everyday tasks
- Have lost 8 attorneys to higher salaries, needed to keep investigations moving forward
- Salary increase would
- Question – What are the qualifications for investigating & licensing staff?
- Investigation staff needs to have investigation background, preferably a dental background, knowledge of procedure, etc.
- Question – I know you have an exceptional item for HPC increase, but not one for PMP; can you explain how that funding would be increased
- If it was not approved for the HPC, then TSBDE would need to raise fees
- If it is approved, would look at revenue coming in for this program & would decrease or increase fees accordingly