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House · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session

HB 1278: Professions and businesses; improve efficiencies in issuance of permits for dentists to administer conscious sedation and general anesthesia

Last action July 1, 2026 · Effective Date

House Bill 1278 changes how Georgia dentists get permits to administer conscious sedation and general anesthesia, letting the state dental board or its designees certify sedation facilities without requiring an in-person, on-site exam.

Read the full bill text

These buttons carry the bill's own text, not the summaries below. Copy for LLM, View as markdown, and Send to AI use the Markdown version: the text as filed, then the summaries under a heading that names them as ours. View raw is the text alone.

The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.

In plain language

Under current Georgia law, dentists who want to administer conscious sedation or general anesthesia must have their office facilities evaluated and certified through an on-site examination before the state dental board issues a permit. House Bill 1278 changes the process by removing the specific requirement of an on-site examination and instead allowing the Georgia Board of Dentistry, or any designee it names, to evaluate and certify a dentist's facility and equipment. The bill also broadens the board's authority to designate qualified people to perform any evaluations, certifications, and examinations required for these permits, not just on-site exams. It removes language requiring proficiency demonstrations to occur specifically 'in the dentist's office,' allowing that testing to happen elsewhere. These changes apply to both the conscious sedation permit law (O.C.G.A. § 43-11-21) and the general anesthesia permit law (O.C.G.A. § 43-11-21.1). The bill repeals conflicting laws and does not state a delayed effective date beyond the standard process.

What the bill does

  • Removes the requirement that facility evaluation and certification happen through an 'on-site examination,' letting the board or its designee certify facilities another way.
  • Expands the board's authority to designate qualified people to perform any evaluations, certifications, and examinations tied to sedation and anesthesia permits, not just on-site checks.
  • Removes the requirement that dentists demonstrate proficiency in sedation or anesthesia techniques specifically 'in the dentist's office,' allowing testing elsewhere.
  • Applies the same procedural changes in parallel to both the conscious sedation permit law and the general anesthesia permit law.
  • Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes.

Who it affects

Dentists in Georgia who seek or renew permits to administer conscious sedation or general anesthesia, the Georgia Board of Dentistry and any personnel it designates to conduct evaluations, and dental patients who receive sedation or anesthesia in dental offices.

Why it matters

By dropping the strict on-site examination requirement and letting the board designate other qualified evaluators, the permitting process for sedation and anesthesia certification could become more flexible and potentially faster for dentists, while the board retains authority to set physical plant, equipment, and personnel standards.

Key provisions

  • Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 43-11-21(b) so facility evaluation and certification can be done by 'the board or any designee thereof' instead of requiring 'an on-site examination.'
  • Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 43-11-21(c) to let the board designate people to perform 'any evaluations, certifications, and examinations required or authorized' by the section, replacing the narrower 'on-site' examination language.
  • Section 1 removes the requirement that proficiency in sedative techniques be demonstrated 'in the dentist's office.'
  • Section 2 makes the same changes to O.C.G.A. § 43-11-21.1, the general anesthesia permit law, including removing the 'on-site examination' and 'in the dentist's office' requirements.
  • Section 3 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act.

Discussed in meetings (14)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

  1. House Health Committee, February 23, 2026

    From 1:14:42 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1278 would change the inspection process for dental conscious-sedation permits, allowing board-approved alternatives to required on-site visits, potentially including remote review. The sponsor said the Board of Dentistry requested the change because travel requirements were delaying permits, especially in southwest Georgia. Although the bill mentions general anesthesia, the sponsor said it would not change general-anesthesia requirements. A member asked whether quality would be maintained without physical visits. The sponsor said dentists would still need to be fully qualified and vetted, and only the site-visit requirement would change. Asked what conscious sedation involves, the sponsor described intravenous medication used for procedures such as wisdom-tooth removal. The committee approved the bill by voice vote.

  2. House Rules Committee, February 25, 2026

    From 1:39:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said HB 1278, requested by the Board of Dentistry, would change requirements for issuing conscious sedation permits. The presenter said on-site requirements were causing delays, particularly in Middle and Southwest Georgia, and would be replaced by examinations and other board-approved methods. No questions or scheduling decision followed.

  3. House floor session, February 26, 2026 (legislative day 25, PM)

    From 0:37:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1657

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1278 would replace an on-site requirement for dental sedation permits with evaluations, certifications, or examinations considered appropriate by the Board of Dentistry. The sponsor said the board requested the change to address a shortage of dentists with conscious sedation permits, particularly in southern and southwestern Georgia, and improve access for children, young adults, and people with disabilities. No questions were asked. The House passed the bill 165 to 0.

  4. House Rules Committee, February 26, 2026

    From 0:31:15 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1654

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 1278 on the day’s supplemental calendar under modified structured rules after a motion and second. No objection was heard when the chair asked. There was no discussion of the bill’s substance.

  5. Senate Health and Human Services Committee, March 16, 2026

    From 0:17:29 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1278 would allow remote evaluations for dental sedation permits rather than requiring an in-person office visit each time a dentist applies. The sponsor said the Board of Dentistry requested the change because finding dentists willing to leave their practices to conduct visits was difficult, especially in southwest Georgia. The sponsor said the change could increase the availability of sedation permits, which the sponsor described as particularly useful for children with behavioral difficulties or difficulty tolerating dental work. Members asked no questions, and the committee unanimously recommended passage.

  6. Senate Rules Committee, March 23, 2026

    From 0:34:18 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: A committee member said HB 1278 concerned conscious sedation in dental offices. The chair repeated that description and explained that it involved anesthesia. No further details or vote were shown.

  7. Senate Rules Committee, March 25, 2026

    From 0:29:33 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said HB 1278 would remove a site visit requirement for dental permits. The presenter reported checking with the board and learning that some dentists had completed continuing education and clinical requirements but could not obtain permits because site visits were unavailable. The bill was later included in the calendar package approved unanimously.

  8. Senate floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38)

    From 7:39:06 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Tabled)

    Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1278 would simplify certification for dentists administering conscious sedation by removing a site-visit requirement that had delayed certifications. The sponsor said training, certification and equipment requirements would otherwise remain unchanged. The clerk described allowing qualified personnel designated by the dental board to perform evaluations and examinations. No questions or opposition followed. The Senate passed the bill 46-0.

Status timeline

  1. 2026-07-01Effective Date
  2. 2026-05-05Act 405
  3. 2026-05-05House Date Signed by Governor (House)
  4. 2026-04-06House Sent to Governor (House)
  5. 2026-03-27Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
  6. 2026-03-27Senate Third Read (Senate)
  7. 2026-03-27Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
  8. 2026-03-27Senate Tabled (Senate)
Show full history (17 actions)
  1. 2026-03-19Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
  2. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
  3. 2026-03-03Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
  4. 2026-02-26House Passed/Adopted (House)
  5. 2026-02-26House Third Readers (House)
  6. 2026-02-24House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
  7. 2026-02-17House Second Readers (House)
  8. 2026-02-12House First Readers (House)
  9. 2026-02-11House Hopper (House)

Sponsors

  • Lee Hawkins (R, HD-27)Primary sponsor
  • Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
  • Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
  • Mark Newton (R, HD-127)
  • Kim Schofield (D, HD-63)
  • Viola Davis (D, HD-87)
  • Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-52)

Votes

  1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 26, 2026

    165 yea, 0 nay (7 not voting, 5 excused)

    PASSAGE: House Vote #576

  2. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2026

    26 yea, 22 nay (3 not voting, 3 excused)

    MOTION TO TABLE REMAINING LEGISLATION ON THE RULES CALENDAR: Senate Vote #835

  3. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2026

    46 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 5 excused)

    PASSAGE: Senate Vote #852

Topics

  • dental licensing
  • conscious sedation permits
  • general anesthesia permits
  • professional regulation
  • Georgia Board of Dentistry

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