[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H7525-H7527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ORAL HEALTH LITERACY AND AWARENESS ACT OF 2021
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4555) to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a
public education campaign across all relevant programs of the Health
Resources and Services Administration to increase oral health literacy
and awareness.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4555
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 ``Oral Health Literacy and
Awareness Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. ORAL HEALTH LITERACY AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.
The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after
section 340G-1 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 256g-1) the following:
``SEC. 340G-2. ORAL HEALTH LITERACY AND AWARENESS.
``(a) Campaign.--The Secretary, acting through the
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services
Administration, shall establish a public education campaign
(referred to in this subsection as the `campaign') across all
relevant programs of the Health Resources and Services
Administration (including the health center program, oral
health workforce programs, maternal and child health
programs, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and rural health
programs) to increase oral health literacy and awareness.
``(b) Strategies.--In carrying out the campaign, the
Secretary shall identify oral health literacy and awareness
strategies that are evidence-based and focused on oral health
care education, including education on prevention of oral
disease such as early childhood and other caries, periodontal
disease, and oral cancer.
``(c) Focus.--The Secretary shall design the campaign to
communicate directly with
[[Page H7526]]
specific populations, including children, pregnant women,
parents, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and
ethnic and racial minority populations, including Indians,
Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, in a culturally and
linguistically appropriate manner.
``(d) Outcomes.--In carrying out the campaign, the
Secretary shall include a process for measuring outcomes and
effectiveness.
``(e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report on the outcomes
and effectiveness of the campaign.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this
section, there is authorized to be appropriated $750,000 for
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 4555.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, oral health is an important component of general
health and well-being, but it is a big problem for many Americans.
Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in both children and
adults in the United States. More than one in four adults have
untreated cavities, and nearly half of American adults show signs of
gum disease.
Regular preventative dental care can catch these oral health problems
early when they are easiest to treat. Unfortunately, less than half of
Americans use the oral healthcare system. One of the best ways to
promote oral healthcare is to increase oral health literacy.
H.R. 4555, the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act, will
accomplish this by expanding oral health literacy programs. H.R. 4555
will authorize a public education campaign to increase oral health
literacy and awareness across all relevant programs of the Health
Resources and Services Administration.
This bill will also help us learn about the effectiveness of targeted
oral health literacy campaigns, and it will inform future efforts to
improve oral health literacy for all Americans.
I want to thank Representatives Cardenas and Bilirakis, members of
the Energy and Commerce Committee, for their bipartisan work on this
legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 4555, the Oral Health
Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021, sponsored by my Energy and Commerce
Committee colleagues, Representatives Bilirakis and Cardenas.
We all know that oral health plays such an important role in an
individual's overall health and well-being. A lack of proper oral
hygiene has been proven to increase the risk of chronic health
conditions.
However, good oral hygiene and dental checkups, in addition to
increased education, can help patients avoid most oral health ailments.
It is so important for kids to develop healthy habits at a young age.
This bill directs the Health Resources and Services Administration to
develop a public education campaign to increase oral health literacy
and awareness. By increasing such, the bill will promote good oral
health habits and will help to prevent the development of avoidable,
complex medical conditions in the future.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I remind
them this bill, as I recall, passed unanimously in the committee and
should not be a problem. I thank my chairman and ranking member for
getting this bill to the House floor quickly.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Cardenas), a member of the Energy and Commerce
Committee who is the lead sponsor of the bill.
Mr. CARDENAS. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for this
opportunity for us to pass these amazing bills.
Madam Speaker, I want to take note: The seven bills that we are
discussing on the floor over the last hour and a half, which we will
soon vote with the entire body of this House, all of those bills passed
out of the Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously. That means every
Republican and Democrat voted ``yes.'' There were no ``no'' votes.
I feel it is important for us to mention that because when you look
at the press, they think that all we are doing here is arguing,
fussing, and fighting with each other, but we do work together.
To all of my Republican colleagues on the committee and Democratic
colleagues on the committee, thank you so much for doing our job.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support this
bipartisan bill with Congressman Bilirakis, the Oral Health Literacy
and Awareness Act of 2021.
Oral health is whole body health. It is often neglected by parents
who, unfortunately, lack resources and knowledge.
Oral health accounts for some of the deepest health disparities in
all low-income families across America. For many, the cost of dental
neglect can be detrimental, especially for children. Arthritis,
autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory skin
disorders, gut issues, and more can all be caused or worsened by
untreated tooth decay and oral disease.
According to the CDC, children who have poor oral health often miss
more school and receive lower grades than children who don't. Even more
alarming, Latino kids, like those in my district, experience two times
more tooth decay and cavities than their White peers.
{time} 1700
We can and must do better for our children and our country. Most of
these issues can be prevented with access to the right information and
resources. Our legislation will help low-income families and
communities of color learn about the benefits of regular dental care
and empower them to make better decisions on their overall oral health.
Madam Speaker, this is a picture of a child's mouth. Too many
children across America are going through this pain, through this
detrimental situation, because their parents don't understand that they
can do better for their children with better practices and information.
That is what this bill is about.
Once parents have access to information on the importance of healthy
habits, they can prevent this kind of result. These tips help families
and children maintain long-term oral hygiene at home. Through simple
education and awareness campaigns, we will ensure families are better
equipped to take control of their family's health.
We can't cut corners here, Madam Speaker. Let's start ensuring oral
health is part of the conversation in every home every day as often as
possible. It is the only way we will make sure that children across
America do not suffer like this child has suffered.
I also want to say, once again, thank you to Chairman Pallone, House
subcommittee Chairwoman Anna Eshoo, and all of my colleagues,
Republican and Democrat, on the committee for passing this bill.
Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I would again urge my colleagues to support
this bill passed unanimously in the greatest committee on the face of
the Earth.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I urge bipartisan support for this bill.
As Mr. Cardenas said, there is nothing, really, more important than
oral health. We know there are so many times when poor dental care has
led to much more severe problems of all sorts, so this is really an
important bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge its support, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
[[Page H7527]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4555.
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. WEBER of Texas. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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