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. The CR continues the laddered funding approach from the previous CR, H.R.6363, Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, with certain agency appropriations set to now expire on March 1 and others, including funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on March 8. Funding for public health extenders, including funding for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education, will also be funded through March 8. No additional health care or legislative priorities were included in the CR. Congress is now engaging in negotiations for a full-year spending bill when the CR expires.  

The CR, H.R.2872, is available here.

The previously enacted CR, H.R.6363, is available here.

Impact on General Dentistry: A government shutdown would have caused widespread harm, particularly for agencies and programs that depend on discretionary funding through annual appropriations acts. As Congress negotiates a full-year spending bill, AGD will continue advocating for inclusion of the reauthorization of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, which includes language naming AGD as an approved training provider for practitioners who prescribe controlled substances.