AGD Capitol Connections

On May 28, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) held the 239th Meeting of the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council (NADCRC).

On June 4, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2483, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025, by a vote of 366-57. Originally enacted in 2018, the SUPPORT Act authorized funding for community-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery programs, many of which expired in 2023.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its reconciliation package containing a harmful provision that would increase taxes on small business dental practices. If enacted, the legislation would prevent these practices from deducting state-level pass-through entity taxes (PTET) on their federal returns.

On June 3, 2024, Representatives Jeff Van Drew, DMD (R-NJ-2), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) introduced a bill entitled, To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include over-the-counter oral healthcare products as qualified medical expenses which can be purchased with HSA and FSA funds (H.R. 8599).

AGD recently signed onto an Amicus Brief, initiated by the American Dental Association (ADA), asking the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to hear Mulready v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA).

On May 7, 2024, House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6) wrote a letter to HRSA, urging the agency to increase its per resident allocation (PRA) for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program by $10,000 for the next academic year beginning on July 1, 2024.

Roughly 30 AGD advocates, including its leadership team, traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with federal policymakers during the week of May 20, 2024.

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.

On June 14, 2023, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a legislative hearing entitled, Examining Proposals that Provide Access to Care for Patients and Support Research for Rare Diseases.

This week Congress kicked off the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations process with the first markups in the House. Each year, Congress aims to pass 12 separate appropriations bills to fund government programs.

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.

After the great success of Massachusetts Ballot Question 2 in November 2022, legislation dealing with medical loss ratios for dental insurers was introduced in twelve states this year and was enacted in Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada and is still alive in Rhode Island.

On May 15, 2023, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a request for comments on a draft recommendation and draft evidence review on screening and preventive interventions for oral health in adults.

H.R.4555, the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act, overwhelmingly passed the House by a 369-58 vote last year, but the Senate has yet to take up this important public health legislation.

Last month, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra issued notice formally establishing the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and appointing Dr. Adam Russell as its Acting Deputy Director.

Earlier this month, AGD hosted an introductory meeting with Dr. Adam Barefoot, the newly appointed Chief Dental Officer (CDO) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

AGD’s Hill Day is an opportunity for all AGD member dentists and dental students to meet with their members of Congress and shape policies that impact the field of dentistry.

On June 24, Rep. Brian Babin, DDS (R-TX), reintroduced the bipartisan Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act (H.R.4122).

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).

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.