AGD Capitol Connections

On April 26, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra released a statement delaying the finalization of a ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes on April 28, 2022, in a proposed rule entitled, Tobacco Product Standard for Menthol in Cigarettes.

On May 1, 2024, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing entitled, Hacking America’s Health Care: Assessing the Change Healthcare Cyber Attack and What’s Next. Additionally, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing entitled, Examining the Change Healthcare Cyberattack.

On April 22nd Maine Governor Janet Mills signed legislation creating the Interstate Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. The Compact became active when the seventh state enacted the Compact language. Maine joined Washington, Iowa, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Virginia and Kansas as initial Compact states.

On April 7, 2024, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5) and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released a discussion draft of federal privacy legislation, entitled the American Privacy Rights Act.

On April 8-9, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted the 2024 Quality Conference. The conference theme was "Resilient and Ready Together: Creating an Optimal Environment for Quality Healthcare for Individuals, Families, and Communities."

On April 2, 2024, AGD and other oral health advocacy organizations sent a letter to House Energy & Commerce and House Ways & Means Committee leadership in support of H.R.7814, the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Assistance Act

On March 20, 2024, the Senate passed S.Res.567, a bipartisan resolution to designate March 18, 2024, as the inaugural "Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness."

On March 11, 2024, the Biden Administration released its FY 2025 Budget Proposal. The Budget Proposal provides insight into the administration’s policy priorities, even though these legislative proposals are unlikely to be considered by the current Congress.

On March 23, 2024, President Biden signed a ‘minibus’ appropriations package for the remaining six of the 12 spending bills, finalizing fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding and averting a government shutdown.

On February 28, 2024, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced S.Res. 567, a bipartisan resolution to designate March 18, 2024, as the inaugural "Health Workforce Well-Being Day of Awareness."

On March 8, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Action for Dental Health Act of 2023 (H.R. 3843) by a vote of 391 to 32. Thank you to the hundreds of AGD members who contacted their Representative via our action alert.

On March 9, 2024, a government shutdown was averted when President Biden signed a ‘minibus’ appropriations package for six of the 12 spending bills, including the Agriculture/FDA appropriations.

On February 8, 2024, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a final rule entitled, Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records.

On February 21, 2024, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a report entitled, Strengthening Health Data Privacy for Americans: Addressing the Challenges of the Modern Era.

On February 20, 2024, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced a bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to explore ways that Congress can support AI innovation while establishing appropriate guardrails

On January 17, 2024, the Chair of the House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Full Committee and the Chair of the E&C Health Subcommittee, Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5) and Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2) respectively, sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a study on the vertical integration and consolidation of the dental and vision benefits industries.

On January 17, 2024, Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced S.3597, the Promoting Dental Health Act.

On January 2, 2024, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) posted new Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) designations and withdrawals and shared information on the process to submit comments on these decisions.

On January 8, 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Stacy Sanders will serve as the Department’s inaugural Chief Competition Officer, a newly created role aimed at reducing healthcare and prescription drug costs by promoting competition.

On January 18, 2024, President Biden signed into law another Continuing Resolution (CR) necessary to keep the government open, H.R.2872, Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024.