I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4395 

To amend part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act to improve 

essential oral health care for lower-income individuals by breaking down 

barriers to care. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 3, 2014 

Ms. KELLY of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend part B of title III of the Public Health Service 

Act to improve essential oral health care for lower-income 

individuals by breaking down barriers to 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 ‘‘Action for Dental 

5 Health Act 2014’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT VOLUNTEER DENTAL 

2 PROJECTS AND PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNER3 SHIPS. 

4 Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act 

5 is amended by inserting after section 320A (42 U.S.C. 

6 247d–8) the following new sections: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 320B. GRANTS TO SUPPORT VOLUNTEER DENTAL 

8 PROJECTS. 

9 ‘‘(a) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.—The Secretary 

10 shall award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible 

11 entities described in subsection (b) to obtain portable or 

12 mobile dental equipment and to pay for appropriate oper13 ational costs, including direct health care or service deliv14 ery costs, for the provision of free dental services to under15 served populations that are delivered in a manner con16 sistent with State licensing laws. 

17 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—An eligible entity under 

18 this subsection is an organization, such as a State or local 

19 dental association, State oral health program, or a dental 

20 education, dental hygiene education, or postdoctoral den21 tal education program accredited by the Commission on 

22 Dental Accreditation, or a community-based organization 

23 that partners with an academic institution, that— 

24 ‘‘(1) is exempt from tax under section 501(c) of 

25 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and 

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1 ‘‘(2) offers a free dental services program for 

2 underserved populations. 

3 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An entity desiring a grant under 

4 this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 

5 in such manner as the Secretary may require. 

6 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

7 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

8 $10,000,000 for the first fiscal year beginning after the 

9 date of enactment of the Action for Dental Health Act 

10 2014 and for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years. 

11 ‘‘SEC. 320C. GRANTS FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS 

12 TO IMPROVE ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND 

13 DENTAL DISEASE PREVENTION AND MED14 ICAID AND CHIP DENTAL PROGRAMS, AND 

15 FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 

16 ‘‘(a) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.—The Secretary 

17 shall award grants to or enter into contracts with eligible 

18 entities described in subsection (b) to collaborate with 

19 State, county, or local public officials and other stake20 holders in order to develop and implement initiatives to 

21 accomplish any of the following goals: 

22 ‘‘(1) To improve oral health education and den23 tal disease prevention, including community-wide 

24 prevention programs, use of dental sealants and flu25 oride varnish, and increasing oral health literacy. 

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1 ‘‘(2) To reduce barriers (including low reim2 bursement and administrative impediments) in a 

3 manner that increases dental provider participation 

4 in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance 

5 Program (CHIP) under titles XIX and XXI of the 

6 Social Security Act. 

7 ‘‘(3) To make the health care delivery system 

8 providing dental services under Medicaid or CHIP 

9 more accessible and efficient by taking actions nec10 essary to facilitate the establishment of dental 

11 homes for children, adults, and the aged, blind, and 

12 disabled populations. 

13 ‘‘(4) To address geographic, language, cultural, 

14 and similar barriers in the provision of dental serv15 ices. 

16 ‘‘(5) To reduce the use of emergency depart17 ments to seek dental services more appropriately de18 livered in a dental primary care setting. 

19 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—An eligible entity under 

20 this subsection is a State or local dental association or 

21 a State dental association foundation that— 

22 ‘‘(1) is exempt from tax under section 501(c) of 

23 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and 

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1 ‘‘(2) partners with public and private stake2 holders to facilitate the provision of dental services 

3 for underserved populations. 

4 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An entity desiring a grant under 

5 this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 

6 in such manner as the Secretary may require. 

7 ‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

8 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

9 $10,000,000 for the first fiscal year beginning after the 

10 date of enactment of the Action for Dental Health Act 

11 2014 and for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 

Æ 

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