AGD Applauds Advancement of REDI Act

The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) applauds continued progress on the bipartisan Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (H.R. 2028). Rep. Gus Bilirakis, of Fla., recently agreed to co-sponsor the legislation after meeting with AGD representatives.

The REDI Act, introduced by Rep. Brian Babin, of Texas, a dentist, would allow borrowers participating in accredited medical or dental internship or residency programs to defer federal student loan payments without accruing interest during their training. Residents often complete three to seven years of postgraduate training while earning modest stipends. At the same time, many face substantial student debt, with medical graduates often owing more than $200,000 and dental graduates frequently facing even higher debt.

By stopping interest accrual during residency, the REDI Act would prevent loan balances from growing during this critical training period, helping strengthen the health care workforce and support access to care in communities across the country.

Rep. Bilirakis, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and chairman of its Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee, announced his support for the bill on Sept. 17, 2026.

“The REDI Act is a bipartisan bill that will support new dentists and physicians by restoring interest deferment during their postgraduate training,” said Marc J. Worob, DDS, FAGD, president of the AGD. “It ensures that financial hardship doesn’t keep our health care leaders from pursuing careers in medicine and dentistry or create additional financial burdens during a time when their education and training are so important.”

Rep. Bilirakis has co-sponsored earlier versions of the REDI Act, including legislation introduced in the 116th and 118th Congresses, reflecting his longstanding support for addressing the unique debt burdens faced by medical and dental residents.

“Medical and dental residents should be able to focus on developing the skills to care for patients without watching their student loan balances grow while they earn modest stipends,” said Congressman Gus Bilirakis. “The bipartisan REDI Act would provide meaningful financial relief during this demanding training period and help remove barriers to careers in medicine and dentistry. I’m proud to continue supporting this commonsense legislation to strengthen our health care workforce and improve access to quality care, particularly in underserved communities.”

 AGD continues to urge additional members of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 2028 and its Senate companion, S. 942, as part of broader efforts to strengthen the nation’s health care workforce.

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