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. The bill would reauthorize the Action for Dental Health Act, which was originally passed in 2018, to provide the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), housed within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, $13.9 million in annual funding for oral health workforce grants from 2024 to 2028. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that H.R. 3843 would cost $55 million over the 5-year period. These grants are specifically focused on assisting rural and underserved communities, which not only bolsters the workforce but also increases access to oral health. The Senate companion bill (S. 2891), which was introduced on September 21, 2023, has gained minimal traction. 
 
The bill text is available here.
 
The CBO report is available here.
 
Impact on General Dentistry: Grants authorized by the Action for Dental Health Act improve the oral health workforce’s capacity and increases access to dental health services. These grants are especially important in rural and underserved areas that face severe workforce shortages which affect access to dental care. AGD will continue advocating for reauthorization in the Senate to ensure these grants remain available.