AGD staff attended and leadership attended and exhibited at the National Conference of State Legislature’s (NCSL) 2017 Legislative Summit in Boston, held August 7-9.  Throughout the meeting, AGD leadership and staff discussed oral health issues with over 200 state legislators from 40 states, as well as many more legislative staff, lobbyists, and representatives from other organizations. 

The NCSL provides state legislators and advocates with a forum to share ideas across state legislatures.  They recently created scopeofpracticepolicy.org/, which provides state-by-state information and updates on scope of practice issues.

In Maine, LD 1287 has passed both chambers, and will be carried over into the next session for consideration in January 2018.  The bill extends through 2026 the cincome tax credit for eligible dentists who practice in underserved areas, and increases the number of primary care professional who practice in underserved areas who may be certified for the credit and allows the credit for primary care professionals to remain in effect beyond January 1, 2019.

If you would like more information on legislative matters in your state, or are interested in carrying out advocacy on AGD issues, please contact us at advocacy@agd.org or visit the AGD’s Advocacy webpage.