[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2422 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2422
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 27, 2018
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
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:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.