Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2023

Bill: 118-s-403
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM]
Introduced: 2023-02-14
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Aging

Child health

Congressional oversight

Dental care

Disability and paralysis

Health care quality

Health programs administration and funding

Health promotion and preventive care

Minority health

Performance measurement

Women's health
Latest action: action_date: 2023-02-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-02-14
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2023</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to conduct a public education campaign to increase oral health literacy and awareness. HRSA must design the campaign to focus on children, pregnant women, parents, older adults, people with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities.</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 403 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 14, 2023 Mr. Luján (for himself, Ms. Collins , and Mr. Cardin ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2023 . 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: 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 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 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 the campaign. (f) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $750,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028. .