1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; making grants for dental assisting and hygiene education 
1.3 	programs; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes, chapter 144.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [144.1914] DENTAL ASSISTING AND HYGIENE EDUCATION 
1.7 	PROGRAM EXPANDED-CAPACITY GRANTS AND FORGIVABLE LOANS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Grant and loan program established. The commissioner of health shall 
1.9 	make grants and forgivable loans available to dental assisting higher education programs 
1.10 	and dental hygiene higher education programs that are accredited by the Commission on 
1.11 	Dental Accreditation for eligible projects to expand student enrollment capacity. The 
1.12 	commissioner may consider programs that have applied for but have not yet received 
1.13 	accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Eligible projects include but 
1.14 	are not limited to:
1.15 	(1) expanding or improving existing clinic physical infrastructure;
1.16 	(2) creating and building new clinic physical infrastructure;
1.17 	(3) improving classroom physical structure;
1.18 	(4) creating student scholarships;
1.19 	(5) improving faculty and staff salaries;
1.20 	(6) obtaining needed equipment and educational resources; and
1.21 	(7) addressing other needs identified by an applicant.
2.1 		Subd. 2.Program oversight. (a) The commissioner shall award grants and forgivable 
2.2 	loans based on information provided in the grant application. The commissioner may request 
2.3 	additional information from applicants when determining eligibility.
2.4 	(b) The commissioner shall give priority to programs that have the highest potential to 
2.5 	increase student capacity.
2.6 	(c) When making determinations, the commissioner shall not demonstrate any preference 
2.7 	between dental hygiene and dental assisting programs.
2.8 	(d) A higher education institution with dental hygiene and dental assisting programs that 
2.9 	is both interested in applying for grants and forgivable loans may submit one joint application.

2.10 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; DENTAL ASSISTING AND DENTAL HYGIENE 
2.11 	PROGRAM EXPANDED CAPACITY GRANTS.
 2.12 	$20,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
2.13 	of health for the dental assisting and dental hygiene education program expanded capacity 
2.14 	grants and forgivable loans in section 1. This is a onetime appropriation and is available 
2.15 	until June 30, 2026.