[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2422 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2422

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.

    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 ``Action for Dental Health Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. VOLUNTEER DENTAL PROJECTS AND ACTION FOR DENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM.

    Section 317M of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-14) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections 
        (f) and (g), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(e) Action for Dental Health Program.--
            ``(1) 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 Service 
        Administration, may award grants to or enter into contracts 
        with eligible entities to collaborate with State, county, or 
        local public officials and other stakeholders to develop and 
        implement initiatives to accomplish any of the following goals:
                    ``(A) To improve oral health education and dental 
                disease prevention, including through community-wide 
                prevention programs, through the use of dental sealants 
                and fluoride varnish, and by increasing oral health 
                literacy.
                    ``(B) To reduce geographic barriers, language 
                barriers, cultural barriers, and other similar barriers 
                to the provision of dental services.
            ``(2) Eligible entity.--In this subsection, the term 
        `eligible entity' means an entity that is--
                    ``(A) a State or local dental association;
                    ``(B) a State oral health program;
                    ``(C) a dental education, dental hygiene, or 
                postdoctoral dental education program accredited by the 
                Commission on Dental Accreditation; or
                    ``(D) a community-based organization that--
                            ``(i) partners with an academic 
                        institution;
                            ``(ii) is exempt from tax under section 
                        501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; 
                        and
                            ``(iii) partners with public and private 
                        stakeholders to facilitate the provision of 
                        dental services for underserved populations.''; 
                        and
            (3) in subsection (g), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by 
        striking ``such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
        years 2001 through 2005'' and inserting ``$18,000,000 for each 
        of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022''.

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 of dental homes for 
                children and adults, including for the aged, blind, and 
                disabled populations;
                    ``(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; and
                    ``(F) the provision of dental care to nursing home 
                residents;''; and
            (2) 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 2018 through 
        2022''.

            Passed the House of Representatives February 26, 2018.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
115th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2422

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.