HB 1286 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2796
05/09
HOUSE BILL 1286
AN ACT relative to the practice of dentistry and when x-rays are required.
SPONSORS: Rep. Drago, Rock. 4; Rep. DeVito, Rock. 8; Rep. Harvey-Bolia, Belk. 3; Rep. Peternel, Carr. 6; Rep. Pauer, Hills. 36; Rep. Tom Mannion, Hills. 1; Rep. Wherry, Hills. 13; Rep. Sabourin dit Choiniere, Rock. 30; Rep. Litchfield, Rock. 32
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ANALYSIS
This bill provides that a dentist may treat a patient who declines to have a recommended x-ray and the dentist in such cases may require the patient to sign a waiver of liability.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2796
05/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT relative to the practice of dentistry and when x-rays are required.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph; Practice of Dentistry; X-Rays; When Required. Amend RSA 317-A:17 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:
II-a. Notwithstanding RSA 317-A:17, II(j), a dentist may treat a patient who has declined to have an x-ray recommended by the dentist unless doing so would violate the dental standard of care. In such cases, the dentist may require the patient to sign a waiver of liability, indicating that the patient waives the right to sue the dentist in the event that the lack of an x-ray results in unforeseen injury to the patient. No dentist shall be subject to license suspension, revocation, or any other disciplinary action by the board for actions taken pursuant to this paragraph.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 22, 2026 | House | Hearing |
Jan. 14, 2026: Public Hearing: 01/22/2026 11:00 am GP 153
Dec. 1, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Executive Departments and Administration