[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 34 (Monday, February 26, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1243-H1244]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ACTION FOR DENTAL HEALTH ACT OF 2017

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2422) 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, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2422

       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''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.
  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, today I rise in support of H.R. 2422, the Action for 
Dental Health Act of 2017, introduced by Representative Robin Kelly.
  The bill reauthorizes the oral health promotion and disease 
prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
and permits the CDC to award grants or enter into contracts with 
stakeholders to develop projects to improve oral health education and 
dental disease prevention. This bill also reauthorizes HRSA's Grants to 
States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities and permits States 
to establish dental homes, mobile or portable dental clinics, 
initiatives to reduce the use of emergency departments by patients 
seeking dental services, and initiatives to provide dental care to 
nursing home residents.
  Good oral health is an important component of good overall health, 
and this bill takes important steps to help improve the dental care in 
underserved communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2422, the Action for Dental 
Health Act, sponsored by my colleague, Congresswoman Robin Kelly from 
Illinois.
  For millions of Americans, affordable dental care is hard to find and 
desperately needed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, nearly half of all individuals in our country over the age 
of 30 suffer from some form of gum disease. One in four children under 
the age of 5 already have cavities.
  The lack of basic oral health services in some communities today 
leads many Americans to delay treatment to the point the pain is so 
severe that they rush to the emergency room, where they receive 
expensive treatment for common dental issues.
  Dental care is necessary for more than cosmetic reasons. Good oral 
health is vital to a person's overall health. Bad oral health can be a 
sign of larger health issues.
  Increasing access to affordable dental care would lower the number of 
emergency department visits for preventable oral health conditions and 
reduce the risk of chronic disease.
  The Action for Dental Health Act will make grants available through 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health 
Resources and Services Administration, for programs to improve oral 
health for underserved populations.
  This legislation will make it possible for groups, such as State 
health departments and nonprofit dental societies, to receive funding 
for critical oral health services. These services may include providing 
dental services to nursing home residents, operating a mobile dental 
clinic, or implementing an emergency room program so patients can 
receive dental care in the dentist's chair instead of the ER.
  I thank the bill's sponsors for their bipartisan work on this 
important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Action 
for Dental Health Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from Illinois (Ms. Kelly), the sponsor of this bill.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as February's National Children's 
Dental Health Month draws to a close, I thank Chairman Walden and 
Ranking Member Pallone for their leadership in making sure that this 
bill came to the floor today.
  It has been a tremendous honor to work with my colleague, Mr. Simpson 
from Idaho, in moving this legislation that I am intensely passionate 
about--the Action for Dental Health Act.
  I want to acknowledge that, while Members of this Chamber may not 
always see eye-to-eye on matters of health policy, I am proud that my 
colleagues were able to work together in a constructive, compassionate, 
and considerate way to address the critical public health matter of 
improving oral health in America.
  Mr. Speaker, all Americans deserve a healthy smile; but, sadly, each 
year, tens of millions of Americans forego needed oral healthcare due 
to poverty, fear, language or cultural barriers, or the simple fact 
that there isn't a dentist in the area in which they live.
  We know that regular visits to a dentist can do more than keep your 
smile attractive. They can tell a whole lot about your overall health, 
including whether or not you may be developing a disease like diabetes, 
or if you are at risk for a stroke.
  Fifty million Americans live in places with limited access to dental 
care, and economically vulnerable adults are almost twice as likely to 
have had no dental care in the previous year than Americans in middle- 
and upper-income brackets.

[[Page H1244]]

  Dental problems are a leading problem of school absences for kids and 
missed work for parents. Oral health has a direct relationship with 
school performance. Kids who reported having recent tooth pain were 
four times more likely to have a low grade point average--below the 
median GPA of 2.8--when compared to children without oral pain, 
according to a study by the Ostrow School of Dentistry at the 
University of Southern California
  My bill improves oral health for Americans by breaking down barriers 
to care. It allows organizations to qualify for oral health grants to 
support activities that improve oral health education and dental 
disease prevention.
  This includes developing and expanding outreach programs that will 
facilitate establishing dental homes for children and adults, including 
the elderly, blind, and disabled.
  The Action for Dental Health Act has received the endorsement of the 
American Dental Association, the National Dental Association, the 
American Dental Education Association, and a bipartisan coalition of 
our congressional colleagues.
  On a final note, I would like to thank the staff of the Energy and 
Commerce Committee; Mia Keeys on my staff; Jamie McNeil with 
Congressman Simpson; and also Dr. Cheryl Watson-Lowry, who came to 
testify on behalf of the bill, in working together to help shepherd the 
bill before us today.
  I am a true believer in the power of order and bipartisanship in 
making a difference in the lives of the families we represent. The 
process of working with you all in advancing this bill has truly 
strengthened my belief in that power.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, and I urge passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2422, 
the Action for Dental Health Act of 2017.
  The ADH Act will allow states to receive grants that will establish 
innovative dental programs on behalf of the Health Resources and 
Services Administration.
  Passing H.R. 2422 will establish of dental homes for children and 
adults, reduce use of emergency departments for dental services, and 
reduce geographic, language and cultural barriers in the dental care 
system.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a great need to improve oral health education 
and prevent dental diseases in low-income and underserved communities.
  The health of many Americans is dependent upon the resources we 
provide.
  African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans and Alaska Natives 
generally have the poorest oral health of any racial and ethnic groups 
in the United States.
  African Americans, non-Hispanics, and Mexican Americans aged 35 to 44 
years experience untreated tooth decay nearly twice as much as white, 
non-Hispanics.
  Poor oral health is strongly correlated with other chronic health 
conditions like cardiovascular diseases, lung disease, strokes, 
diabetes and can also contribute to problems with employment which 
furthers poverty.
  The Surgeon General estimates that children with oral disease miss 
over 51 million hours of school each year, and that adults with oral 
disease miss approximately 164 million hours of work each year.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2422 to show their 
support and compassion for the people we serve and to ensure that 
individuals predisposed to contracting any sort of dental diseases 
receive the proper prevention and care they deserve.
  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. 2422, as amended.
  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, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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