The Action for Dental Health Act Advanced by House Energy and Commerce Committee
On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the Action for Dental Health Act (H.R. 2001) by a unanimous roll call vote. The bill was introduced in March 2025 by Representatives Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) and Mike Simpson (R-ID-02) and would reauthorize the allocation of $15 million in annual funding to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for oral health workforce grants through fiscal year 2030. These grants are critical to the continued advancement of workforce training and community-based oral health initiatives in areas with dental health provider shortages.
Impact on General Dentistry: This bill would extend the authorization of vital grants to reduce the dental workforce shortage in the estimated 6,830 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for dental health providers, as identified in May 2024 by HRSA. The funding is utilized to support dental recruitment and retention; continued dental education; dental faculty recruitment; loan forgiveness and repayment; and grants / low or no-interest loans for newly established or expanded dental practices in designated dental HPSAs. AGD will continue its advocacy by urging for a floor vote by the U.S. House of Representatives.