A Virginia House panel voted down a bill to study the possibility of expanding Virginia Commonwealth University’s dental school into the southern part of the state.
HB 2778 was voted down in a 6-4 vote by the The House of Delegates Higher Education Subcommittee, according to a Jan. 28 report from Cardinal News.
There are less than five dentists per 100,000 residents in Virginia, according to a 2021 study referenced by Del. Eric Phillips, who introduced the bill.
The potential expansion is intended to compliment, not compete, with VCU's Richmond campus.
A similar bill in the state Senate was re-referred to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee through a unanimous vote.
The study had an estimated cost of $75,000, the report said.