II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3064 

To establish a multi-faceted approach to improve access and eliminate 

disparities in oral health care. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 22, 2008 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Ms. COLLINS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish a multi-faceted approach to improve access and 

eliminate disparities in oral health care. 

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 ‘‘Oral Health Initiative 

5 Act of 2008’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) The first-ever Surgeon General’s report on 

9 oral health, released in May 2000, identified a ‘‘si10 lent epidemic’’ of dental and oral diseases that burVerDate Aug 31 2005 17:29 May 24, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3064.IS S3064

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1 dens some population groups, and calls for a na2 tional partnership to provide opportunities for indi3 viduals, communities, and the health professions to 

4 work together to maintain and improve the nation’s 

5 oral health. 

6 (2) The Government Accountability Office has 

7 determined that dental disease is a chronic problem 

8 among many low-income and other vulnerable popu9 lations. 

10 (3) The National Institutes of Health 2001 

11 Consensus Development Conference on Diagnosis 

12 and Management of Dental Caries Throughout Life 

13 found that dental decay is the most common chronic 

14 childhood disease among children in the United 

15 States. 

16 (4) Research in the American Journal of Pre17 ventive Medicine determined that dental disease af18 fects 1 in 5 children aged 2 to 4, half of those aged 

19 6 to 8, and nearly three-fifths of 15 year olds. 

20 (5) ‘‘Oral Health in America: A Report of the 

21 Surgeon General’’ published in April 2002 found 

22 that tooth decay is 5 times more common than asth23 ma among school age children. 

24 (6) In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control 

25 and Prevention estimated that 43 percent of black 


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1 children have untreated tooth decay in permanent 

2 teeth, and that children living in poverty suffer twice 

3 as much tooth decay as middle and upper income 

4 children. 

5 (7) The American Academy of Pediatric Den6 tistry has reported that 80 percent of all dental 

7 problems are found in 25 percent of children, pri8 marily those from lower-income families. 

9 (8) Researchers have determined that preven10 tive dental interventions, including early and routine 

11 preventive care, fluoridation, and sealants are cost 

12 effective in reducing disease and associated expendi13 tures. 

14 (9) A broad array of programs exists, totaling 

15 more than $45,000,000 annually, excluding National 

16 Institutes of Health research of $300,000,000 a year 

17 and Medicaid and SCHIP funding of 

18 $4,700,000,000 a year, within several agencies of 

19 the Department of Health and Human Services to 

20 address oral health needs, yet serious access prob21 lems remain for underserved populations. 

22 (10) The 110th Congress has recognized the 

23 importance of dental care by adding a guaranteed 

24 dental benefit to the Children’s Health Insurance 

25 Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. 


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1 (11) The Senate Budget Resolution for fiscal 

2 year 2009 supports funding for improved access to 

3 oral health care in the United States. 

4 SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 

5 It is the purpose of this Act to establish a multi-fac6 eted approach to improve access and eliminate disparities 

7 in oral health care. 

8 SEC. 4. ORAL HEALTH WORKING GROUP. 

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 60 days after 

10 the effective date of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 

11 Human Services (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec12 retary’’) shall establish within the Office of the Secretary 

13 an Oral Health Working Group (referred to in this Act 

14 as the ‘‘Group’’) to review the effectiveness of, and rec15 ommend improvements to, existing Federal oral health 

16 programs, and develop programs to improve the oral 

17 health of, and prevent dental disease in, children, Med18 icaid-eligible adults, medically-compromised adults, and 

19 other vulnerable populations who are among those Ameri20 cans at highest risk of dental disease. 

21 (b) COMPOSITION.—The Group shall be composed of 

22 a representative from each of the following: 

23 (1) The Agency for Healthcare Research and 

24 Quality. 

25 (2) The Bureau of Primary Health Care. 


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1 (3) The Bureau of Health Professions. 

2 (4) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre3 vention. 

4 (5) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serv5 ices. 

6 (6) The HIV–AIDS Bureau. 

7 (7) The Indian Health Service. 

8 (8) The Maternal and Child Health Bureau. 

9 (9) The National Institute of Dental and 

10 Craniofacial Research. 

11 (10) The Office of Minority Health and Health 

12 Disparities. 

13 (11) The Office of Disability. 

14 (12) The Office of Head Start. 

15 (13) Any other offices or divisions as deter16 mined appropriate by the Secretary. 

17 (c) DUTIES.—The group shall— 

18 (1) review existing oral health programs and 

19 policies within the Department of Health and 

20 Human Services, including— 

21 (A) oral health provider training programs; 

22 (B) the availability of access to oral health 

23 care under such programs (such as community 

24 health center access); 


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1 (C) oral health disease tracking trends; 

2 and 

3 (D) oral health research programs; 

4 (2) identify duplicative or overlapping oral 

5 health programs; 

6 (3) identify opportunities for new oral health 

7 programs; 

8 (4) make recommendations for the improved co9 ordination of oral health programs; 

10 (5) make recommendations on spending for oral 

11 health care programs in each of the agencies of the 

12 Department of Health and Human Services; 

13 (6) evaluate the adequacy of Federal support 

14 for State oral health programs; 

15 (7) make recommendations for improvements to 

16 the financing of oral health care; 

17 (8) make recommendations for monitoring and 

18 evaluating the quality of dental care financed with 

19 Federal funds; 

20 (9) identify efforts to cost-effectively prevent 

21 and manage dental disease in low-income and high22 risk populations; and 

23 (10) carry out any other activities determined 

24 appropriate by the Secretary. 

25 (d) ADVISORY PANEL.— 


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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es2 tablish an advisory panel to provide advice and rec3 ommendations to the Group in carrying out sub4 section (d). 

5 (2) COMPOSITION.—The advisory panel shall be 

6 composed of an appropriate number of individuals to 

7 be appointed by the Secretary, and shall include— 

8 (A) a dentist; 

9 (B) a pediatric dentist; 

10 (C) a dental educator; 

11 (D) a State Medicaid or State Children’s 

12 Health Insurance Program dental director; 

13 (E) a dentist who serves as a State dental 

14 director; 

15 (F) a dentist who practices in a federally 

16 qualified health center; 

17 (G) an allied dental practitioner; 

18 (H) a dental insurer; and 

19 (I) any other entity determined appro20 priate by the Secretary. 

21 (3) REQUIREMENTS.—In making appointments 

22 to the advisory panel under paragraph (2), the Sec23 retary shall ensure— 


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1 (A) a broad geographic representation of 

2 members and a balance between urban and 

3 rural members; 

4 (B) that members are appointed based on 

5 their competence, interest, and knowledge of 

6 the mission of dentistry; and 

7 (C) an adequate representation of minori8 ties. 

9 (4) TERMS.—A member of the advisory panel 

10 shall be appointed for a term of 2 years. 

11 (5) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the advisory 

12 panel shall be filled in the manner in which the 

13 original appointment was made and shall be subject 

14 to any conditions which applied with respect to the 

15 original appointment. An individual appointed to fill 

16 a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired term 

17 of the member being replaced. 

18 (6) MEETINGS.—The advisory panel shall meet 

19 not less than 2 times each year. Such meetings shall 

20 be held jointly with other meetings related to the 

21 oral health initiative under this Act when appro22 priate. 

23 (7) COMPENSATION.—Each member of the ad24 visory panel shall be compensated at a rate equal to 

25 the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 


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1 prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule 

2 under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, 

3 for each day (including travel time) during which 

4 such member is engaged in the performance of the 

5 duties of the panel. 

6 (8) EXPENSES.—Members of the advisory panel 

7 shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem 

8 in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for em9 ployees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 

10 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their 

11 homes or regular places of business in the perform12 ance of services for the panel. 

13 (9) PACA.—The Federal Advisory Committee 

14 Act shall apply to the advisory panel under this sub15 section only to the extent that the provisions of such 

16 Act do not conflict with the requirements of this 

17 subsection. 

18 (e) REPORTS.—Not later than December 31, 2010, 

19 and each December 31 thereafter, the Group shall submit 

20 to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Con21 gress, a report concerning the findings and recommenda22 tions of the Group under subsection (c). 

23 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

24 authorized to be appropriated, such sums as may be nec25 essary in each fiscal year to carry out this Act. 


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1 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

2 This Act shall take effect on February 1, 2009. 

Æ 


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