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Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§247d–8 Coordinated program to improve pediatric oral health

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES › Part Part B— - Federal-State Cooperation › § 247d–8

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Health Secretary, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), must set up a program to pay for new efforts that help children under 6 who can get services from a federal health program. The program aims to improve these kids’ oral health, get more of them to use dental care, and lower early childhood and baby bottle tooth decay. The Secretary must give grants or contracts to nonprofit dental schools and training programs, community dental programs, and Indian Health Service programs (including tribal and urban Indian programs). The money is for promoting oral health, training dental providers under state rules, or helping eligible children get dental care. Grants should be spread fairly across the country and target places with the most early childhood tooth decay. Congress authorized $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §247d–8

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a program to fund innovative oral health activities that improve the oral health of children under 6 years of age who are eligible for services provided under a Federal health program, to increase the utilization of dental services by such children, and to decrease the incidence of early childhood and baby bottle tooth decay.
(b)The Secretary shall award grants to or enter into contracts with public or private nonprofit schools of dentistry or accredited dental training institutions or programs, community dental programs, and programs operated by the Indian Health Service (including federally recognized Indian tribes that receive medical services from the Indian Health Service, urban Indian health programs funded under title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act [25 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.], and tribes that contract with the Indian Health Service pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act [25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.]) to enable such schools, institutions, and programs to develop programs of oral health promotion, to increase training of oral health services providers in accordance with State practice laws, or to increase the utilization of dental services by eligible children.
(c)In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, ensure an equitable national geographic distribution of the grants, including areas of the United States where the incidence of early childhood caries is highest.
(d)There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by “of”. the fiscal years 2001 through 2005.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Indian Health Care Improvement Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 94–437, Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1400. Title V of the Act is classified generally to subchapter IV (§ 1651 et seq.) of chapter 18 of Title 25, Indians. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1601 of Title 25 and Tables. The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 93–638, Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2203, which is classified principally to chapter 46 (§ 5301 et seq.) of Title 25, Indians. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 5301 of Title 25 and Tables. Codification section 1603 of Pub. L. 106–310, which directed that section 320A (this section) be added at the end of part B of the Public Health Service Act, was executed by adding section 320A at the end of part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act, to reflect the probable intent of Congress, notwithstanding that section 320 of the Public Health Service Act (section 247e of this title) appears in part C of title III of the Public Health Service Act.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 247d–8

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73