An Act To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve essential oral health care for low-income and other underserved individuals by breaking down barriers to care, and for other purposes.

Dec. 11, 2018

[H.R. 2422]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Action for Dental Health Act

of 2018.

42 USC 201 note.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the Action for Dental Health Act of 2018.

SEC. 2. ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION.(a) In General.—Section 399LL of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280k) is amended—(1) in subsection (a)—(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting “of Oral Health Education Campaign” after “Establishment”; and (B) by striking “focused on oral healthcare prevention and education” and inserting “focused on oral health education”; (2) in subsection (b), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “campaign” and inserting “campaign under subsection (a)”; and (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:“(c) Action for Dental Health Program.—“(1)

Consultation.

Grants.

Contracts.

In general.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, may award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to collaborate with State or local public health officials, tribal health officials, oral health professional organizations, and others, as appropriate, to develop and implement initiatives to improve oral health, including activities to prevent dental disease and reduce barriers to the provision of dental services, including—“(A) through community-wide dental disease prevention programs; and “(B) by increasing public awareness and education related to oral health and dental disease prevention. “(2) Eligible entities.—To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this subsection, an entity shall be—“(A) a dental association;132 STAT. 4397 “(B) a State or tribal health department or State or tribal oral health program; “(C) an accredited dental education, dental hygiene, or postdoctoral dental education program; or “(D) a non-profit community-based organization that partners with public and private non-profit entities, such as an academic institution, to facilitate the provision of dental services to underserved populations.” ; (b) Technical Amendment.—Section 399LL–1(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280k–1(d)) is amended—(1) by striking “shall” and inserting “shall, as practicable and appropriate,” before “utilize”; and (2) by striking “public education campaign” and inserting “oral health education campaign and action for dental health program”. (c) Report to Congress.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, a report on the outcomes and effectiveness of programs and activities conducted under sections 399LL and 399LL–1 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280k and 280k–1).

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS. Section 340G of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256g) is amended—(1) in subsection (b)(5)—(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and” at the end; and (B) by adding at the end the following:“(D) the establishment or development of models for the provision of dental services to children and adults, such as dental homes, including for the elderly, blind, individuals with disabilities, and individuals living in long-term care facilities; and “(E) the establishment of initiatives to reduce the use of emergency departments by individuals who seek dental services more appropriately delivered in a dental primary care setting;” ; and132 STAT. 4398 (2)

Time periods.

in subsection (f), by striking “$25,000,000 for the 5-fiscal year period beginning with fiscal year 2008” and inserting “$13,903,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023”.

Approved December 11, 2018.