Illinois Sen. Cervantes dental licensure update bill passes House and Senate

Newly passed bill authored by State Sen. Javier L. Cervantes aims to update dental licensure and training standards for dentists, dental hygienists and assistants following approval in both chambers, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 71 Democrats and 39 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 31 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Cervantes introduced the bill in the Illinois Senate on Jan. 14, 2026 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as SB2846, was passed on May 21, 2026 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act. In provisions concerning the qualifications of applicants for dental licenses and dental hygienist licenses, provides that each applicant shall present satisfactory evidence that the applicant has passed the integrated National Board Dental Examination administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and has successfully completed an examination conducted by the Central Regional Dental Testing Service, Inc. (CRDTS) or the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX). Provides that an applicant who has passed the integrated National Board Dental Examination or the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, respectively, and who has, prior to January 1, 2026, successfully completed an examination conducted by the States Resources for Testing and Assessments, Inc. (SRTA) (formerly, Southern Regional Testing Agency, Inc.), the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB), the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments (CDCA), or the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners (NERB) shall be eligible to apply for licensure. In provisions concerning examinations for dental licensure, provides that both theoretical and psychomotor (rather than practical) examinations shall be of a character to give a fair test of the qualifications of the applicant to practice dentistry. In provisions concerning expanded function dental assistants, provides that a dental assistant may perform certain services if the dental assistant has completed the training requirements for the service or services. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2026.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill revises the Illinois Dental Practice Act to update licensing and training requirements for dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants. It requires dentist and dental hygienist applicants to pass the integrated or national board exams plus a clinical exam from CRDTS or ADEX, while allowing applicants who passed certain other regional exams before Jan. 1, 2026, to remain eligible. It specifies that dental licensure exams must test both theoretical and psychomotor skills, clarifies that dental assistants may perform listed expanded functions only after completing required training, and makes related technical changes. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

The bill was sponsored only by Rep. Bob Morgan (Democrat-58th District).

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Cervantes graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Cervantes, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 1st Senate District, replacing previous state senator Antonio Munoz.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.