Congress passed two legislative spending bills on December 19, 2019 totaling $1.4 trillion to keep the government running through the remainder of fiscal year 2020. The bills include funding for the AAPD’s key appropriations issue.

H.R. 1865, known as the domestic priorities and international assistance appropriations minibus, totaled $540.4 billion and was made up of eight appropriations bills: Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, Agriculture, Energy and Water Development, Interior-Environment, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, State-Foreign Operations, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development. H.R. 1158, the national security appropriations minibus, totaled $860.3 billion and includes the Defense, Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services and General Government, and Homeland Security appropriations bills. President Trump signed both measures into law on December 20, 2019 as P.L. 116-94 and P.L. 116-93.

In terms of AAPD’s top funding priority, Title VII pediatric dentistry, the following favorable report language from House Committee Report 116-62[1]from May 15, 2019 is now official:

            “Oral Health Training
The Committee recommends $40,673,000 for Oral Health Training programs, the same as the fiscal year 2019 enacted level and $40,673,000 above the fiscal year 2020 budget request. These programs serve to increase the number of medical graduates from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds and to encourage students and residents to choose primary care fields and practice in underserved urban and rural areas.

The Committee includes not less than $12,000,000 for General Dentistry Programs and not less than $12,000,000 for Pediatric Dentistry Programs. The Committee directs HRSA to provide continuation funding for predoctoral and postdoctoral training grants initially awarded in fiscal year 2015, and for section 748 Dental Faculty Loan Program (DFLRP) grants initially awarded in fiscal years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Committee continues to support DFLRP awards with a preference for pediatric dentistry faculty supervising dental students or residents and providing clinical services in dental clinics located in dental schools, hospitals, and community-based affiliated sites.”

Medicaid dental report language from House Committee Report 116-62 is now official as well; this urges the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to appoint a chief dental officer, and instructs auditors of dentists to utilize the clinical guidelines, best practices and policies of the AAPD and ADA. This language was strongly supported by the ADA and AAPD.

For further information on these issues please contact Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel C. Scott Litch at 312-337-2169 or slitch@aapd.org.