# Virginia SB178: Dental assistants; supragingival scaling and coronal polishing, certification. Virginia SB178, Dental assistants; supragingival scaling and coronal polishing, certification., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Mamie E. Locke (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-08 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0440)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB178-2026 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Virginia SB178 - State: Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Dental assistants; supragingival scaling and coronal polishing, certification. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-09 - Last action: 2026-04-08, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0440) - Sponsor: Mamie E. Locke (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (190 yes, 22 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary Dental assistants; additional treatments; certification. Permits any dental assistant I or dental assistant II with a minimum of 1,800 hours of clinical experience to obtain certification pursuant to the requirements of the bill to perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing. This bill is identical to HB 970. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Two levels and new duties for dental assistants: benefit, medium. The law creates two roles: dental assistant I and dental assistant II. The Board of Dentistry sets the exact tasks each role may do. A dental assistant II must meet Board education and training rules and hold an ADA‑recognized certification, plus any other Board registration steps. A dental assista… - Certified assistants can scale and polish teeth: mixed, medium. A dental assistant I or II with at least 1,800 clinical hours can get certified to do more care. Training must come from one of these: a dentist or hygienist using a statewide 501(c)(6) dentists’ group curriculum; a federal, Indian Health Service, or active‑duty military program; or an existing den… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mamie E. Locke (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-24 | House | Passed House | pass | 80 | 18 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | Reported from Health and Human Services | pass | 17 | 4 | | | 2026-02-10 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-02-09 | Senate | Education and Health Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-06 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-02-06 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-02-05 | Senate | Reported from Education and Health with substitute | pass | 14 | 0 | | ## Actions (32) - 2026-04-08: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0440) (Governor) - 2026-04-08: Approved by Governor-Chapter 440 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor) - 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor) - 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB178) (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB178ER) (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Signed by President (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2026-02-24: Passed House (80-Y 18-N 0-A) (House) - 2026-02-24: Read third time (House) - 2026-02-23: Read second time (House) - 2026-02-19: Reported from Health and Human Services (17-Y 4-N) (House) - 2026-02-17: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB178) (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Read first time (House) - 2026-02-13: Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services (House) - 2026-02-13: Placed on Calendar (House) - 2026-02-10: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Education and Health Substitute agreed to (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Read second time (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Passed by for the day (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2026-02-06: Committee substitute printed 26106581D-S1 (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Reported from Education and Health with substitute (14-Y 0-N) (Senate) - 2026-01-30: Senate subcommittee offered (Senate) - 2026-01-23: Assigned Education sub: Health Professions (Senate) - 2026-01-21: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB178) (Senate) - 2026-01-09: Referred to Committee on Education and Health (Senate) - 2026-01-09: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102763D (Senate) ## Bill text - Chaptered, 2026-04-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217899.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217898.PDF) - Enrolled, 2026-02-26: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178897.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178896.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-02-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132206.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132205.PDF) - Substitute, 2026-01-30: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103915.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103914.PDF) - Introduced, 2026-01-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083670.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083669.PDF) ## Related bills - HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed) - SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed) - HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed) - HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed) - HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed) - HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed) ## Sources - [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217899.HTML) - [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1217898.PDF) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178897.HTML) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1178896.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132206.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1132205.PDF) - [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103915.HTML) - [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1103914.PDF) - [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083670.HTML) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083669.PDF) ## Related - [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026) - [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026) - [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026) - [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026) - [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026) - [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026) - [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills) - [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB178-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).