AGD Capitol Connections

On September 25, 2024, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution (CR), H.R. 9747, to maintain federal funding through December 20, 2024, which the Senate passed shortly thereafter.

On September 9, 2024, Congress returned to session following a six-week summer recess, and now must reach an agreement in the coming days to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.

On August 20, 2024, a federal district court judge in Texas struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) rule banning noncompete clauses in employment agreements.

In late July AGD exhibited at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Annual Meeting in Denver. ALEC brings together legislators from around the country who support free markets, limited government and federalism.

On August 16, 2024, AGD wrote to House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5), advocating against the proposed restructuring of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

On July 24, 2024, AGD, alongside 17 other organizations, sent a letter of support to the sponsors of the Oral Health Products Inclusion Act (H.R. 8599). This legislation would allow funds from health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) to be used to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) oral health products, such as toothbrushes and floss.

On July 23, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its inaugural Oral Health Cross-Cutting Initiative (CCI) fact sheet. The fact sheet provides an overview of the Oral Health CCI and the program’s key results so far.

On July 12, 2024, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger, urging them to develop and release a set of mandatory national minimum cybersecurity standards for health care organizations.

As state legislative sessions wind down, dental insurance reform continues to be a hot issue in the Capitol. Last week Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro signed into law a bill prohibiting insurers from requiring providers to accept credit cards as payment for services.

On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce.

On June 26, 2024, the House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee spending bill, which would allocate $185.8 billion in discretionary funding.

On June 3, 2024, Representatives Jeff Van Drew, DMD (R-NJ-2), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) introduced a bill entitled, To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include over-the-counter oral healthcare products as qualified medical expenses which can be purchased with HSA and FSA funds (H.R. 8599).

AGD recently signed onto an Amicus Brief, initiated by the American Dental Association (ADA), asking the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to hear Mulready v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA).

On May 7, 2024, House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6) wrote a letter to HRSA, urging the agency to increase its per resident allocation (PRA) for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program by $10,000 for the next academic year beginning on July 1, 2024.

Roughly 30 AGD advocates, including its leadership team, traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with federal policymakers during the week of May 20, 2024.

The AGD Advocacy Fund supports national and constituent advocacy efforts by providing resources to tackle new matters, such as legislation or legal action affecting the practice of general dentistry.

On May 16, 2024, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing entitled, Examining the Dental Care Crisis in America: How Can We Make Dental Care More Affordable and More Available? The hearing examined the root causes of barriers to accessing adequate dental care including workforce shortages and student loan debt, and potential policy solutions to fill these gaps.

The AGD Advocacy Fund supports national and constituent advocacy efforts by providing resources to tackle new matters, such as legislation or legal action affecting the practice of general dentistry.

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.