117th CONGRESS 1st Session |
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a public education campaign across all relevant programs of the Health Resources and Services Administration to increase oral health literacy and awareness.
July 20, 2021
Mr. Cárdenas (for himself and Mr. Bilirakis) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a public education campaign across all relevant programs of the Health Resources and Services Administration to increase oral health literacy and awareness.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021”.
SEC. 2. Oral health literacy and awareness campaign.
The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 340G–1 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 256g–1) the following:
“SEC. 340G–2. Oral health literacy and awareness.
“(a) Campaign.—The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a public education campaign (referred to in this subsection as the ‘campaign’) across all relevant programs of the Health Resources and Services Administration (including the health center program, oral health workforce programs, maternal and child health programs, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and rural health programs) to increase oral health literacy and awareness.
“(b) Strategies.—In carrying out the campaign, the Secretary shall identify oral health literacy and awareness strategies that are evidence-based and focused on oral health care education, including education on prevention of oral disease such as early childhood and other caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer.
“(c) Focus.—The Secretary shall design the campaign to communicate directly with specific populations, including children, pregnant women, parents, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and ethnic and racial minority populations, including Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
“(d) Outcomes.—In carrying out the campaign, the Secretary shall include a process for measuring outcomes and effectiveness.
“(e) Report to Congress.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report on the outcomes and effectiveness of the campaign.
“(f) Authorization of appropriations.—To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $750,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.”.