Legislation (updated 1-2-08)
Friends of NIDCR tracks legislation that affects our members. By clicking on the links below you can receive a summary of the bill and identify its co-sponsors. Please check to see if your member is a co-sponsor of these important pieces of legislation.
- H.R.2472: Essential Oral Health Care Act of 2007. The bill amends titles V and XIX of the Social Security Act to improve essential oral health care for lower-income individuals under the Maternal and Child Health Program and the Medicaid Program and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit to dentists for dental services provided to low-income individuals. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-4-MD) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-2-ID) introduced the bill. It does not have a Senate companion.
- H.R.2820: The Reconstructive Surgery Act of 2007. The bill requires health insurance coverage for certain reconstructive surgery. Rep. Mike Ross (D-4-AR) introduced the bill on June 21, 2007. It does not have a companion bill in the Senate.
- H.R.1781: Children’s Dental Health Improvement Act of 2007. The legislation has four main provisions chief of which is to improve delivery of pediatric dental services under Medicaid and SCHIP. Rep. John Dingell (D-15-MI), who chairs the Committee on Energy and Commerce, introduced the bill. The bill has a Senate companion, S.739, introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).
- Reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). During the week of December 17, Congress passed an extension of SCHIP funding until March 2009. The program is expected to cover 6.6 million children. Attempts by Congress to expand the program by $35 billion to another estimated 4 million children were vetoed by President George W. Bush on two occasions. The president signed the extension into law on December 29, 2007.
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