Ky. House panel passes bill requiring dental exams before children can enter school; W.Va. pending

The oral-health problems of Kentucky and West Virginia have drawn plenty of attention (such as here from The New York Times), and recently the two states have proposed legislation to change their poor records by addressing children's health. This week, the Kentucky House passed a bill that "would require students to get their teeth examined before starting school," reports Sarah Vos of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The legislation, House Bill 186, passed the committee 13-1. Its sponsor, Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, told Vos it should pass the House but could face trouble in the Republican- controlled Senate, where Burch bills rarely fare well. The bill, which would go into effect in 2011, has the support of the Kentucky Dental Association. The Kentucky Association of School Administrators has questioned whether the bill could keep more children going to school.

"If the bill becomes law, the dental association has committed to making sure dental care is available for children who don't have insurance and aren't covered by Medicaid or the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program, said Mike Porter, executive director of the KDA," Vos writes. "The bill would likely result in an increase in dental costs for Medicaid and KCHIP, as neither of those programs provide dental care for more than half the population they serve. The Cabinet is not advocating for the bill because of concerns about those costs." (Read more)

A similar West Virginia bill is still pending. The state also considered a statewide ban on soft drinks and sugary snacks in all schools, but a House committee delayed action on the bill to receive more information on the proposal, reports The Associated Press. (Read more)