Action for Dental Health Act Passes House, Introduced in Senate to Fund Workforce

Posted: July 24, 2026

Action for Dental Health Act Passes House, Introduced in Senate to Fund Workforce

Edited by Dentaltown staff

Bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the federal Action for Dental Health workforce-grant program cleared the House on July 20 and was introduced in the Senate on July 23, with support from the American Dental Association.

The Action for Dental Health Act, H.R. 2001, would reauthorize the Health Resources and Services Administration grant program at $15 million a year. The House-passed version would fund the program through fiscal year 2030, while the Senate bill would authorize funding through fiscal year 2031.

The program awards federal grants intended to reduce barriers to care. It supports dental disease prevention, oral health education, mobile dental services, and the establishment of dental homes in underserved communities.

Reps. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, and Robin Kelly, D-Ill., led the bill to House passage, and Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., led its reintroduction in the Senate. In letters supporting the legislation, the ADA identified workforce shortages as one of its highest priorities, citing first-quarter 2026 survey data in which more than 90% of practices that tried to hire a dental hygienist found it very or extremely challenging.

ADA President Richard Rosato said, “Everyone deserves access to oral health care,” in welcoming the bill’s focus on expanding access.

The reauthorization amount is modest relative to the national shortage, but the program can support local prevention, recruitment, and mobile delivery efforts. The measure now awaits further action in the Senate.

Sources:
ADA News, “Action for Dental Health Act advances in House, introduced in Senate,” by Olivia Anderson, July 23, 2026: adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2026/july/action-for-dental-health-act
Congress.gov, “H.R. 2001 – Action for Dental Health Act,” 119th Congress: congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2001


Action for Dental Health Act Passes House, Introduced in Senate to Fund Workforce

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