[115th Congress Public Law 302]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



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                  ACTION FOR DENTAL HEALTH ACT OF 2018

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Public Law 115-302
115th Congress

                                 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. <<NOTE: Dec. 11, 2018 -  [H.R. 
                                2422]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Action for 
Dental Health Act of 2018. 42 USC 201 note.>> 
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) <<NOTE: Consultation. Grants. Contracts.>>  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;

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                    ``(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

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            (2) <<NOTE: Time periods.>>  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''.

    Approved December 11, 2018.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2422 (S. 3016):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115-328 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018):
            Feb. 26, considered and passed House.
            Oct. 11, considered and passed Senate, amended.
            Nov. 28, House concurred in Senate amendment.

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