AGD Capitol Connections

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.

The fate of the enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans is front and center on Capitol Hill this month. On December 11, the Senate failed to advance a bill that would provide a clean three-year extension of the EPTCs, which are set to expire on December 31, 2025.

At its Annual Meeting in November the Health Insurance and Long-Term Care Issues Committee of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) passed an amended Dental Reform Model Law.

On November 21, 2025, AGD, together with 25 other national organizations, sent a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD urging the agency to fill the vacant Chief Dental Officer (CDO) position and maintain the role as a senior, agency-wide role within the CMS Office of the Administrator.

On November 12, 2025, the House of Representatives voted 222-209, mostly along party lines, to approve a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through January 30, 2026. The Senate passed the funding bill earlier that week by a vote of 60-40, with eight members of the Democratic Caucus voting in favor to reach the 60-vote threshold required for passage.

On December 1, 2025, President Trump signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483), into law. First enacted in 2018, the SUPPORT Act authorizes funding for community-based substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.

On October 31, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new actions to limit the sale of unapproved ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children under three years of age and for children at low or moderate risk for tooth decay.

On November 10, 2025, Senate Republicans along with eight Democratic Senators began the process of reopening the government by passing a continuing resolution (CR) that would extend federal funding for most of the government through January 30, 2026.

Join us November 21 - 22, 2025 for a free, two half-day virtual event designed to keep you informed on the latest legislative and regulatory developments impacting general dentistry and gain valuable insights into current and emerging issues that could affect your practice.

The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (CHIRA), enacted in January 2021 with overwhelming bipartisan support, marked a major victory for consumer protection. The law repealed a long-standing exemption under the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which had allowed dental insurance companies to operate unregulated by federal antitrust laws.

On October 22, 2025, the Senate held its twelfth vote on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that would extend current government funding levels through November 21.

On September 30, 2025, Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Health Care Workforce Expansion Act, which seeks to address shortages in the health care workforce, including dentistry.

The government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, continues as Democrats and Republicans remain at an impasse over federal funding. On October 9, 2025, the Senate failed for the seventh time to advance legislation to end the shutdown.

On September 19, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation entitled, Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, introducing significant changes to the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. Under the proclamation, all H-1B petitions submitted after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on September 21, 2025, must include a payment of $100,000.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced it will host a workshop entitled, Moving Forward: Protecting Workers from Anticompetitive Noncompete Agreements. The workshop, hosted by FTC’s Labor Task Force, will feature remarks from FTC Commissioners, as well as discussions with policy experts, economists, advocates, and individuals affected by noncompete agreements.

The federal government is currently operating under a continuing resolution (CR) passed in March 2025 that funds the government through September 30, 2025. Unless Congress passes an annual appropriations act or an interim continuing resolution by that date, the government will shut down on October 1.

On September 9, 2025, HHS released its Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy, outlining over 120 initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of childhood chronic diseases.

On September 9, 2025, the House Appropriations Committee advanced the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bill provides a total of $108 billion in discretionary funding for HHS, approximately six percent below the FY 2025 enacted level, and proposes a $456 million reduction in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

On August 27, 2025, Dr. Susan Monarez was dismissed from her role as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director by the White House. Her termination came less than a month after her confirmation by the Senate and was reportedly triggered by her refusal to implement directives that she and her attorneys described as “unscientific” and “reckless.”

As Congress reconvenes this week following its August recess, lawmakers face critical deadlines, including the need to fund the federal government beyond September 30 in order to avoid a government shutdown.