[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 8, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H1598-H1600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 DENTAL EMERGENCY RESPONDER ACT OF 2011

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 570) to amend the Public Health Service Act to enhance the 
roles of dentists and allied dental personnel in the Nation's disaster 
response framework, and for other purposes.

[[Page H1599]]

  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 570

       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 Emergency Responder 
     Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. DENTAL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS: PUBLIC HEALTH AND 
                   MEDICAL RESPONSE.

       (a) National Health Security Strategy.--Section 2802(b)(3) 
     of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-1(b)(3)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting 
     ``and which may include dental health facilities'' after 
     ``mental health facilities''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``(which may include 
     such dental health assets)'' after ``medical assets''.
       (b) All-Hazards Public Health and Medical Response 
     Curricula and Training.--Section 319F(a)(5)(B) of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6(a)(5)(B)) is amended by 
     striking ``public health or medical'' and inserting ``public 
     health, medical, or dental''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Burgess) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on H.R. 570 currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, currently Federal statute deters through omission the 
incorporation of dental professionals and schools into emergency 
response plans. H.R. 570 would remedy this omission by incorporating 
dentistry by name into the Federal disaster response framework. This 
legislation is endorsed by the American Dental Association and the 
Academy of General Dentistry, and it passed the House last year on a 
voice vote.
  It recently passed the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Health 
Subcommittee, and the full committee, on a voice vote, and 19 members 
of the Energy and Commerce Committee are currently cosponsors.
  In the aftermath of a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or public 
health emergency, traditional medical delivery systems can become 
overwhelmed. In these situations it is vital that States work with all 
qualified and licensed providers to ensure a volunteer workforce to 
assist in the mitigation of that tragedy. Dentists receive sound 
general medical background during their professional education and are 
equipped to take patient medical histories, administer injections, and 
triage patients. This legislation calls for no new Federal money and 
poses no new restrictions on moneys now being spent. It simply allows 
States, at their option, to incorporate dentists and dental facilities 
into their planning.
  I believe this bill will allow us to strategically utilize all 
available resources and have the ability to deploy the maximum amount 
of aid in times of disaster. I urge support of this bill.
  I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) for 
introducing the legislation with me.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 570, the Dental 
Emergency Responder Act of 2011. This is a bill that we passed on the 
House floor last fall with strong bipartisan support.
  The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include dentists in 
the National Health Security Strategy, which is the strategy HHS 
develops to respond to a public health emergency.
  The bill also expands health and medical response training programs 
to include dental facilities. The bill will also amend the Homeland 
Security Act to include dental personnel in the definition of 
``emergency response providers'' and will amend the Post-Katrina 
Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 to require Federal response 
plans to include dental resources.
  This bill will help shore up the Nation's preparedness for disasters, 
including natural disasters like hurricanes and manmade disasters like 
a terrorist attack.
  I want to thank Representative Burgess and Representative Towns for 
their outstanding work on this issue and also acknowledge the advocacy 
of our former colleague Representative Stupak, who worked so hard on 
this bill in the last Congress.

  I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I want to take just a moment to thank 
Candice Miller from Michigan, who was involved in this legislation 
throughout its course last year and has been very instrumental this 
year.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I again ask for support of the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Again, Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank Chairman Upton 
and Chairman Pitts and Ranking Members Waxman and Pallone for their 
work in passing this bill so quickly through the subcommittee and the 
full committee. I also want to thank Mr. Stupak for his hard work on 
the legislation in the last Congress.
  Again, I want to acknowledge the work of Candice Miller last Congress 
and this Congress in getting this bill passed.
  In an emergency, all hands on deck. Dentists are willing to support 
the medical and public health response to a disaster, and this 
legislation allows States the option to incorporate dentists into their 
disaster response framework. Our Nation's medical surge capacity will 
never be optimal until we capitalize on the personnel resources of the 
entire health care workforce.
  I urge full support of this important legislation, H.R. 570, to 
ensure our national disaster responses have the maximum amount of 
available resources.
  I also want to thank two of my staff members, Rebekah West and James 
Paluskiewicz, for their hard work in getting this bill to the floor in 
what appears to be record time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1620

  Mr. PALLONE. I now yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) for yielding. I thank Dr. Burgess for his 
courtesies and also Mr. Towns for this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 570 because, in having come from 
the gulf coast and in having gone through Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and 
Ike just in a few short years, I have seen the devastation of 
communities and know that a holistic approach to health care is vital. 
We have a vibrant dental community in Houston, Texas. In particular, I 
want to note that Senior Dr. Zeb Poindexter has served on the American 
Dental Board and is an enthusiastic supporter of accessing dental care 
services to the poor.
  When there is a hurricane or a natural disaster of some form, 
everybody falls into the same boat. After the devastation, again, of a 
tornado--or of a hurricane and of the tragic incident that occurred 
this past weekend in Louisiana, individuals are facing many needs, so 
having medical professionals assist them or even to provide them 
specific dental care after the devastation, having the dental community 
be a part of this disaster response team, is an excellent idea.
  I join my colleagues in recognizing the importance of access to 
dental care for those individuals facing disaster and also the 
importance of increasing the opportunity for poor Americans who 
likewise need access to dental care.
  Dental care can impact one's health. We have seen that in the past, 
and we have seen that with children. So I believe this legislation is 
in the right direction, and I add my support to it. I know that the 
gulf region will appreciate the fact that the dental personnel

[[Page H1600]]

and professionals are added to our disaster relief efforts and our 
first responders who will respond to any disaster.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 570, the Dental Emergency Responder Act. This important 
legislation would recognize dentists as emergency response providers 
who are capable of giving medical assistance in the event of a public 
health emergency.
  This bill is an efficient way to improve America's emergency response 
system. Not only does it ensure that we are fully prepared on all 
fronts in the event of a crisis or natural disaster, but it does not 
add any new Federal spending or increase our ever-growing deficit.
  Dentists have strong general medical training that I firmly believe 
should be utilized during a public health emergency. In the wake of 
September 11, 2001, the worst attack on civilians in the history of our 
country, we must ensure that America's emergency response system is 
prepared, and this includes having a strong medical response system in 
place.
  In a time of crisis, it is crucial that vie have all hands on deck to 
issue medical assistance to the public. For this reason I am proud to 
support H.R. 570 and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this 
legislation.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 570, the 
Dental Emergency Responder Act of 2011. I urge my colleagues to support 
this act as it is a necessary step towards ensuring our nation's 
readiness for national emergencies.
  As a member of the New York City Congressional delegation, I am no 
stranger to tragic, national events. In the wake of September 11, 2001, 
we witnessed thousands of citizens banding together to heal the 
community. Similarly, when Hurricane Katrina struck the gulf coast, 
Americans again came together to help those in need.
  The people of our Nation stand together as a community in times of 
great sorrow. For this reason, Government should do all that it can to 
ensure that individuals with great skill are afforded the opportunity 
to assist in times of need.
  For too long, dentists have been prohibited from assisting in times 
of emergency. However, this profession is composed of highly trained, 
and capable medical professionals, many of whom have offices that can 
easily convert into triage facilities when needed.
  When this bill is enacted, states will be able to include, if they 
choose, dentists as part of the emergency response plan. The important 
decisions about how a state responds to a crisis will still be left to 
local authorities. Enactment of this bill simply provides decision 
makers with more options to respond to tragedies and emergencies.
  I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 570.
  Mr. PALLONE. I urge support of the bill, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Again, I urge support for the legislation and for the 
passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 570.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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