[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 169 (Thursday, October 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6880-S6881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ACTION FOR DENTAL HEALTH ACT OF 2017

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the

[[Page S6881]]

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee be discharged and the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2422.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A 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.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Alexander substitute 
amendment be agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be considered 
read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4057) was agreed to, as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the Action for Dental Health Act 
     of 2018.

     SEC. 2. ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION.

       (a) In General.--Section 399LL of the Public Health Service 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 280k) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``of Oral 
     Health Education Campaign'' after ``Establishment''; and
       (B) by striking ``focused on oral healthcare prevention and 
     education'' and inserting ``focused on oral health 
     education'';
       (2) in subsection (b), in the matter preceding paragraph 
     (1), by striking ``campaign'' and inserting ``campaign under 
     subsection (a)''; and
       (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
       ``(c) 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 Services 
     Administration, may award grants, contracts, or cooperative 
     agreements to eligible entities to collaborate with State or 
     local public health officials, tribal health officials, oral 
     health professional organizations, and others, as 
     appropriate, to develop and implement initiatives to improve 
     oral health, including activities to prevent dental disease 
     and reduce barriers to the provision of dental services, 
     including--
       ``(A) through community-wide dental disease prevention 
     programs; and
       ``(B) by increasing public awareness and education related 
     to oral health and dental disease prevention.
       ``(2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a 
     grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this 
     subsection, an entity shall be--
       ``(A) a dental association;
       ``(B) a State or tribal health department or State or 
     tribal oral health program;
       ``(C) an accredited dental education, dental hygiene, or 
     postdoctoral dental education program; or
       ``(D) a non-profit community-based organization that 
     partners with public and private non-profit entities, such as 
     an academic institution, to facilitate the provision of 
     dental services to underserved populations.'';
       (b) Technical Amendment.--Section 399LL-1(d) of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280k-1(d)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``shall'' and inserting ``shall, as 
     practicable and appropriate,'' before ``utilize''; and
       (2) by striking ``public education campaign'' and inserting 
     ``oral health education campaign and action for dental health 
     program''.
       (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services shall submit to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives, a report on the outcomes and effectiveness 
     of programs and activities conducted under sections 399LL and 
     399LL-1 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280k and 
     280k-1).

     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 or development of models for the 
     provision of dental services to children and adults, such as 
     dental homes, including for the elderly, blind, individuals 
     with disabilities, and individuals living in long-term care 
     facilities; and
       ``(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
       (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 2019 through 
     2023''.
  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill was read the third time.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
  Hearing none, the bill having been read the third time, the question 
is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (H.R. 2422), as amended, was passed.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider 
be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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