Biden Administration Publishes Spring Regulatory Agenda
The White House recently released the outline of regulatory-related actions it plans to take in the coming months within the Spring 2021 Unified Agenda.
AGD Leads Organized Dentistry in Support of Bill to Improve Dental Care for Foster Youth
AGD led a coalition of 15 dental organizations in sending a letter of support to Representative Karen Bass (D-CA) on June 28 for her bipartisan legislation, the Foster Youth Dental Act of 2021 (H.R.1794).
Bill to Assist New Dentists with Student Loan Debt Reintroduced
On June 24, Rep. Brian Babin, DDS (R-TX), reintroduced the bipartisan Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (H.R.4122).
Register for AGD Virtual Hill Day
AGD Hill Day is an opportunity for member dentists and dental students to meet with their members of Congress and discuss AGD priority legislative issues. This year, the event will be entirely virtual, beginning with guest speakers and advocacy training on Thursday, July 8, and Virtual Hill Day meetings on Tuesday, July 13.
Legislation Introduced to Authorize Funding for Primary Care Medical and Dental Residency Programs
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, recently introduced the Doctors of Community (DOC) Act (H.R.3671/S.1958), which would authorize substantial funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program through 2033.
Updated Provider Relief Fund Reporting Guidance Issued
On June 11, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued revised reporting requirements (press release) for health care providers who received funding from the Provider Relief Fund.
AGD Supports Bill to Assist HIV Health Workforce with Student Debt
AGD sent a letter of support to Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), thanking her for reintroducing H.R.2295, the HIV Epidemic Loan-Repayment Program (HELP) Act, on June 9.
OSHA Releases COVID-19 Protection Standard for Health Care Settings
On June 10, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) describing specifically what certain health care industry employers must do to protect their workers from exposure to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
CDC Updates Guidance on Mask Wearing for Fully Vaccinated People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance on Thursday, May 13, that recommends that fully vaccinated individuals can stop wearing masks in most non-healthcare settings.
Congressional Democrats Seek Input on Public Health Insurance Option
On May 26, Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced their plans to develop legislation to establish a federally administered public option for health coverage.
President Biden Releases FY2022 Budget
President Joe Biden put forward his proposed FY2022 budget on May 28, which would amount to approximately $6 trillion in government spending. The budget accounts for many of the provisions the President has detailed in his American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan.
NIDCR Says Oral Health in America Report to be Published this Fall
On May 26, the Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), Dr. Rena D’Souza, announced that the twenty-year follow-up report to Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General will be released in the fall of 2021.
AGD Supports Legislation Reintroduced to Address Noncovered Services Issue
AGD sent letters of support to the House and Senate sponsors of the DOC Access Act on May 26, thanking them for taking the lead on this critical piece of legislation.
AGD Supports FSA Improvement Legislation
The AGD sent a letter of support to the sponsors of the Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee (RAISE) Health Benefits Act on May 10.
OSHA's COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard Expected Very Soon
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has sent its COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review, a step before the ETS is made public.
AGD-Backed Coalition Calls for Release of 2020 Surgeon General Report on Oral Health
AGD, along with allies from organized dentistry and other health stakeholders, sent a letter that was spearheaded by the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D. on May 5, requesting a quick release of the pending 2020 Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health.
AGD Joins Coalition to Urge President Biden to Support Healthy Workplace Tax Credit
On May 5, AGD signed on to a letter along with a coalition of organizations and businesses representing millions of employees urging President Biden and his administration to support the bipartisan Healthy Workplaces Tax Credit Act (S.537/H.R.1944) to protect the safety of workers, customers and the public. The bipartisan bill would create a tax credit for qualified expenses that help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
FDA Announces Plan to Ban Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars
On April 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would be advancing two tobacco product standards to significantly reduce disease and death from using combusted tobacco products, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
IRS Provides Safe Harbor Tax Guidance on PPP Loan Business Expense Deductions
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Revenue Procedure 2021-20 PDF on April 22 for certain businesses that received first-round Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans but did not deduct any of the original eligible expenses because they relied on guidance issued before the enactment of tax relief legislation in December of 2020.
Congressional Democrats Push Biden to Include Medicare Expansion in Relief Plan
President Joe Biden detailed his "American Families Plan" (fact sheet) in a speech to Congress on Wednesday, April 28. The President's plan will seek to expand federal support for lower-income and middle-class Americans, offset by a series of tax increases on wealthy Americans' incomes, investments, and estates.