In Colorado, a process called a “Sunset Review” evaluates a profession’s practice act for readoption by the state legislature. This year, the Colorado Dental Practice Act, the laws that govern dentistry, is undergoing Sunset Review. This process is vitally important to the dental profession and only occurs every 10 years.
This page will be updated throughout the 2025 Colorado legislative session, following the progress of SB25-194.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS:
- October 2022: The CDA convenes an expert group of dentists to form a Sunset Review Committee, which meets over the next two and a half years to systematically review the Dental Practice Act line by line and formulate comprehensive recommendations for changes to the Act.
- January 2024: The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) begins their Sunset Review of the Dental Practice Act. This review is required by statute to happen every 10 years, and is a comprehensive review of all state laws governing the practice of dentistry.
- March 2024: CDA’s Sunset Review Committee completes its final Sunset Review report with 27 substantive recommendations to improve the Dental Practice Act, as well as several technical change recommendations, all with the purpose of modernizing the practice and focusing on patient access to safe, effective oral healthcare. CDA sends this final report to DORA.
- October 15, 2024: DORA releases their Sunset Review report. This report includes only 4 of CDA’s 27 recommendations, as well as a number of recommendations from DORA that CDA opposes, and which hinder the provision of safe and effective oral healthcare in Colorado.
- November 2024 to February 2025: CDA engages partners and stakeholders to discuss key issues for the Sunset Review Bill. CDA drafts a proposed Sunset Review Bill with input that reflects CDA’s priorities and agreements on policies with key stakeholders
- February 20, 2025: The Senate Health & Human Services (HHS) Committee holds the first hearing to discuss DORA’s Sunset Review of the Dental Practice Act. 10 CDA member dentists testify on the bill, sharing each area of concern in DORA’s report and each critical issue from CDA’s recommendations that were omitted by DORA. The Senate committee unanimously votes to support CDA’s version of the Sunset Review Bill to be introduced in the state legislature. Senator Kyle Mullica and Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet sign on as Senate sponsors. Majority Leader Monica Duran and Representative Anthony Hartsook sign on as House sponsors.
- March 5, 2025: The Dental Practice Act Sunset Bill is officially introduced in the state Senate — SB25-194. The introduced bill reflects the unanimous vote of the Senate HHS Committee and includes CDA’s key priorities for the Dental Practice Act.
- March 27, 2025: SB25 194 has its first hearing at the Senate HHS Committee. Once again, CDA member dentists testify on the bill and explain the importance of the policies in the bill that advance dentistry and the oral health of Coloradans. The Senate HHS Committee votes unanimously to pass the bill out of committee, with amendments agreed upon by CDA and partner stakeholders. The bill is approved to go to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
- April 11, 2025: SB25 194 is heard at the Senate Appropriations Committee, where it is passed 6-1 out of committee. The committee adopts an amendment that addresses some fiscal considerations in the bill, while keeping intact underlying policy goals of the bill. The bill moves to the full Senate (a.k.a. the Senate floor for “second reading” and “third reading” votes on the bill).
- April 17, 2025: The Senate passes SB25 194 with a vote of 25-10. Amendments were be offered to the bill, again as a result of collaboration by CDA with stakeholders to identify compromises that sustain fundamental goals of the bill while addressing concerns.
- Week of April 21, 2025: The bill will start making its way through the House of Representatives process.
