I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1920

To establish a program to provide grants to expand the availability of public

health dentistry programs in medically underserved areas, health professional shortage areas, and other Federally-defined areas that lack primary dental services.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 25, 1999

Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin (for himself and Mr. OBEY) introduced the

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

A BILL

To establish a program to provide grants to expand the

availability of public health dentistry programs in medically underserved areas, health professional shortage

areas, and other Federally-defined areas that lack primary dental services.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Dental Health Access

5 Expansion Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Part D of title III of the Public

3 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended

4 by adding at the end the following:

5 ‘‘Subpart IX—Primary Dental Programs

6 ‘‘SEC. 340F. GRANT PROGRAM TO EXPAND THE AVAIL7 ABILITY OF SERVICES.

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through

9 the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall

10 establish a program under which the Secretary may award

11 grants to eligible entities and eligible individuals to expand

12 the availability of primary dental care services in dental

13 health professional shortage areas.

14 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—

15 ‘‘(1) ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive a

16 grant under this section an entity shall—

17 ‘‘(A) be a health center receiving funds

18 under section 330, or a county or local public

19 health department, if such center or department

20 is located in a federally-designated dental pro21 fessional shortage area;

22 ‘‘(B) prepare and submit to the Secretary

23 an application at such time, in such manner,

24 and containing such information as the Sec25 retary may require; and
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1 ‘‘(C) provide an assurance that the entity

2 will provide matching funds in accordance with

3 subsection (d).

4 ‘‘(2) INDIVIDUALS.—To be eligible to receive a

5 grant under this section an individual shall—

6 ‘‘(A) be a dentist licensed or certified in

7 accordance with the laws of State in which such

8 individual provides dental services;

9 ‘‘(B) prepare and submit to the Secretary

10 an application at such time, in such manner,

11 and containing such information as the Sec12 retary may require; and

13 ‘‘(C) provide assurances that—

14 ‘‘(i) the individual will practice in a

15 federally-designated dental professional

16 shortage area; and

17 ‘‘(ii) not less than 25 percent of the

18 patients of such individual are receiving as19 sistance under a State plan under title

20 XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

21 1396 et seq.).

22 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—

23 ‘‘(1) ENTITIES.—An entity shall use amounts

24 received under a grant under this section to provide

25 for the increased availability of primary dental serv-
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1 ices in the areas described in subsection (a). Such

2 amounts may be used to supplement the salaries of3 fered for individuals accepting employment as den4 tists in such areas.

5 ‘‘(2) INDIVIDUALS.—A grant to an individual

6 under subsection (a) shall be in the form of a

7 $1,000 bonus payment for each month in which such

8 individual is in compliance with the eligibility re9 quirements of subsection (b)(2)(C).

10 ‘‘(d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—An entity that re11 ceives a grant under this section shall contribute non-Fed12 eral funds to activities carried out under the grant in a

13 total amount equal to at least 45 percent of the amount

14 of the grant.

15 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be

17 appropriated to carry out this section, $5,000,000

18 for each of fiscal years 2000–2004.

19 ‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—Of the amount appro20 priate for a fiscal year under paragraph (1), the Sec21 retary shall use—

22 ‘‘(A) not less than 60 percent of such

23 amount to make grants to eligible entities; and

24 ‘‘(B) not more than 40 percent of such

25 amount to make grants to eligible individuals.’’.
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1 (b) DENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE

2 AREAS.—The Administrator of the Health Resources and

3 Services Administration, in consultation with the Associa4 tion of State and Territorial Dental Directors and other

5 interested parties, shall design and implement procedures

6 to simplify the process by which dental health professional

7 shortage areas are designated.

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