Alabama Gov. Signs Bill Banning DEI Initiatives at Public Institutions of Higher Education

On March 20, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed legislation that prohibits nearly all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at public institutions of higher education, state agencies and K-12 public schools. Specific highlights of the bill include the following:

• It would prohibit institutions from sponsoring any DEI program or maintaining any office, physical location or department that promotes DEI.
• It would prohibit mandatory diversity training.
• It would prohibit the use of diversity statements.
• It would prohibit expending funds or applying for or accepting a grant, federal funding, or private funding for the purpose of compelling assent to any specified divisive concept or any other purpose prohibited by the bill.
• It would require each public institution of higher education to “ensure that every multiple occupancy restroom be designated for use by individuals based on their biological sex.”
• It would allow institutions to discipline or terminate the employment of any employee or contractor who knowingly violates the new law.
• It would permit students, staff or faculty organizations to host DEI programs or discussions that may involve specified divisive concepts, provided that no state funds are used to sponsor the programs.

Critics of the bill include the ACLU of Alabama who said in a statement, “This bill is intended to have a chilling effect on discourse regarding race, class, sexuality, and national origin, and seeks to characterize these discussions and accurate teachings, assignments, and trainings that also supplement them as ‘divisive.’”

Similar laws have been passed in Florida, Utah and Texas.

Georgia Sends Bill to Gov. to Define and Regulate Teledentistry

The Georgia General Assembly will send a bill to Gov. Brian Kemp (R) that, if signed, will define and regulate the practice of teledentistry in the state. Under the bill, teledentistry is defined as “the delivery of dental care through the use of synchronous, real-time communication in conjunction with and supported by store and forward technologies under the general supervision of the authorizing dentist when dental care is provided to a patient physically located at a site in this state that is different from the site where the authorizing dentist is physically located.”

The bill also:

• Clarifies that teledentistry does not include incidents when a licensed dentist practicing in a private dental office receives a digital photograph or audio or video communication from the cellphone of a patient for the purpose of evaluating a dental emergency or providing palliative care until the patient can be treated by a dentist;
• Requires the establishment of a bona-fide, dentist-patient relationship;
• Requires a licensed dentist who intends to provide care through teledentistry to notify the Georgia Board of Dentistry of their intent and provide written documentation demonstrating the dentist has established a referral relationship with another dentist who practices and who is in a physical and operational dental office located in the state within 50 miles of the setting where the teledentistry interaction occurs, or the closest dental office if no office is within 50 miles;
• Limits prescribing through teledentistry to substances that are not controlled substances;
• Clarifies the specific functions a dental hygienist may be authorized to perform;
• Authorizes the performance of digital scans by a dentist or dental hygienist; and
• Authorizes the use of store and forward technologies to transmit patient records, images, digital scans, X-rays and other relevant health information between the authorizing dentist and a dental hygienist for the purposes of evaluating a patient's oral health condition and authorizing the performance of dental care.

To learn more about teledentistry laws across the country, please refer to ADEA’s Compilation of State Laws and Regulations Addressing Teledentistry or Telehealth Conducted by Oral Health Practitioners.