[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1920 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1920

To establish a program to provide grants to expand the availability of 
public health dentistry programs in medically underserved areas, health 
  professional shortage areas, and other Federally-defined areas that 
                     lack primary dental services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 1999

  Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin (for himself and Mr. Obey) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a program to provide grants to expand the availability of 
public health dentistry programs in medically underserved areas, health 
  professional shortage areas, and other Federally-defined areas that 
                     lack primary dental services.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Dental Health Access Expansion 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Part D of title III of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

                 ``Subpart IX--Primary Dental Programs

``SEC. 340F. GRANT PROGRAM TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Health 
Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a program under 
which the Secretary may award grants to eligible entities and eligible 
individuals to expand the availability of primary dental care services 
in dental health professional shortage areas.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--
            ``(1) Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section an entity shall--
                    ``(A) be a health center receiving funds under 
                section 330, or a county or local public health 
                department, if such center or department is located in 
                a federally-designated dental professional shortage 
                area;
                    ``(B) prepare and submit to the Secretary an 
                application at such time, in such manner, and 
                containing such information as the Secretary may 
                require; and
                    ``(C) provide an assurance that the entity will 
                provide matching funds in accordance with subsection 
                (d).
            ``(2) Individuals.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section an individual shall--
                    ``(A) be a dentist licensed or certified in 
                accordance with the laws of State in which such 
                individual provides dental services;
                    ``(B) prepare and submit to the Secretary an 
                application at such time, in such manner, and 
                containing such information as the Secretary may 
                require; and
                    ``(C) provide assurances that--
                            ``(i) the individual will practice in a 
                        federally-designated dental professional 
                        shortage area; and
                            ``(ii) not less than 25 percent of the 
                        patients of such individual are receiving 
                        assistance under a State plan under title XIX 
                        of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
                        seq.).
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) Entities.--An entity shall use amounts received under 
        a grant under this section to provide for the increased 
        availability of primary dental services in the areas described 
        in subsection (a). Such amounts may be used to supplement the 
        salaries offered for individuals accepting employment as 
        dentists in such areas.
            ``(2) Individuals.--A grant to an individual under 
        subsection (a) shall be in the form of a $1,000 bonus payment 
        for each month in which such individual is in compliance with 
        the eligibility requirements of subsection (b)(2)(C).
    ``(d) Matching Requirement.--An entity that receives a grant under 
this section shall contribute non-Federal funds to activities carried 
out under the grant in a total amount equal to at least 45 percent of 
the amount of the grant.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out this section, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
        2000-2004.
            ``(2) Use of funds.--Of the amount appropriate for a fiscal 
        year under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall use--
                    ``(A) not less than 60 percent of such amount to 
                make grants to eligible entities; and
                    ``(B) not more than 40 percent of such amount to 
                make grants to eligible individuals.''.
    (b) Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas.--The Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, in consultation 
with the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and 
other interested parties, shall design and implement procedures to 
simplify the process by which dental health professional shortage areas 
are designated.
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