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American Dental Education Association


Volume 3, No. 78, April 23, 2025

Leaked HHS Budget Document Shows Steep Cuts to Some Oral Health-Related Programs
 
Last week, ADEA obtained a leaked internal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) document dated April 10 that contains its recommended allowances for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The document shows steep cuts to Oral Health Training programs and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as consolidation of some institutes.
 
The leaked document represents OMB’s modifications to the budget requests that HHS had previously presented. These documents are referred to as “passback” documents and are clearly marked “Pre-decisional” on each page. The next step in the process, before President Donald Trump submits his final budget requests to Congress is that the Department Secretary can appeal various decisions to the OMB Director, resulting in a negotiation or the disagreement being presented to the President for final decision. We do not have the requested budget version that HHS submitted to OMB.
 
Since the Health Resources and Services Administration, where the Oral Health Training programs are located, is being folded into the new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), apples-to-apples comparisons are difficult. But we can see some of the component parts. Workforce programs, as displayed in the chart below, appear to be cut from the current $2.6 billion to $695 million. All that appears to remain are Public Health Service and related programs.

Many of these programs have bipartisan support on Capitol Hill.
 
The National Institutes of Health is cut almost in half, from the current $49 billion to $26 billion. The proposal also would eliminate three institutes and one center outright. It would also consolidate the remaining into eight institutes, including the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), which would be consolidated with three other institutes into a new National Institute on Neuroscience and Brain Research (along with the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke and National Eye Institute). This appears to closely mirror the House Committee on Energy and Commerce proposal, Reforming the National Institutes of Health: Framework for Discussion, released in June 2024. The House Appropriations Committee adopted that proposal’s NIH structure for its funding for the current fiscal year (FY) 2025. ADEA issued a statement [ [link removed] ] at the time opposing that approach. It was not included in the final FY 2025 funding bill approved on March 15, Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Public Law 119-4. [ [link removed] ]
 
ADEA does not know when the President’s FY 2026 budget will be submitted to Congress; it was supposed to be at the end of April, but now we are hearing “later in May.”
 
This will be an ongoing advocacy effort to educate and inform members of Congress and the committees on Appropriations of the importance of oral health education and research. We will need your help! Stay tuned.

After a Two-month Delay, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Meets
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reconvened for a two-day meeting [ [link removed] ] on April 15-16, initially delayed from February. The panel, composed of external experts, provides vaccine guidance to the CDC. The delay was prompted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who wanted to institute a ACIP reform prior to the meeting. Secretary Kennedy’s reform includes a searchable database [ [link removed] ] of committee members' conflicts of interest, which was designed to address his long-standing concerns about ACIP members’ potential ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
 
Prior to the new reform, ACIP required its members to disclose conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from votes or discussions when appropriate. Members must also file financial disclosures with the Office of Government Ethics. This system is designed to maintain transparency and limit undue influence. This new reform and ongoing discussions reflect an ongoing effort to balance public trust with scientific expertise in vaccine policy.
 
A key topic during the meeting was how to structure the next COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The committee weighed the idea of a risk-based approach—targeting vulnerable populations like those with health conditions or in high-exposure jobs—but noted that this group includes over 74% of Americans, potentially complicating the plan. Some members favored a universal rollout for simplicity. A final decision regarding the COVID-19 rollout will be made at a future meeting.
 
Meanwhile, the CDC is currently without a confirmed director. While CDC Acting Director Susan Monarez, Ph.D., has been nominated, Senate confirmation is pending. Until then, CDC Chief of Staff Matthew Buzzelli, a former Justice Department trial attorney, will temporarily oversee the implementation of ACIP recommendations.

DHS Revokes Student Visas Without Notice or Clear Explanations
 
More than 1,000 international students and recent graduates from over 130 U.S. institutions have had their visas or immigration statuses revoked this year, according to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Many of these students report not receiving clear explanations from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the White House regarding the sudden status changes.
 
In response, a federal lawsuit [ [link removed] ] has been filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern Georgia, aiming to halt these visa revocations and reinstate previously revoked statuses. The lawsuit represents 133 international students and recent graduates from countries including India, China, Colombia, Mexico and Japan. These individuals are listed under pseudonyms due to concerns about retaliation. The suit names three Trump administration officials as defendants: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons.
 
According to the complaint, ICE abruptly and unlawfully ended the students’ legal statuses, thereby stripping them of their rights to study, work and remain in the United States while placing them at risk of detention and deportation.
 
College officials often discovered the status terminations only after checking the DHS-managed database, which flagged students’ statuses as terminated without prior notice. Traditionally, schools reported enrollment changes to DHS, after which legal status updates would follow. However, in these recent cases, the process appears to have bypassed institutional input. The SEVIS system, which tracks the movements and enrollment status of international students, has been overseen by ICE since the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Nebraska Makes Licensure Changes, Joins Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact
 
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed legislation [ [link removed] ] that allows the state to join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist (DDH) Compact [ [link removed] ] , making it the 12th state to join.
 
The DDH Compact is currently in the implementation phase. The Compact Commission [ [link removed] ] is holding regular meetings and discussing rules for implementation. Each member state will appoint one Commissioner selected by the state’s licensing authority.
 
Once implemented, the compact will establish a pathway for licensure portability for dentists and dental hygienists licensed in member states. Licensees residing in compact member states can apply for a “compact privilege,” allowing them to practice in another member state. According to the model compact developed by The Council of State Governments, license holders will be eligible to apply for compact privilege if they meet the following criteria:
 • Hold an unencumbered license as a dentist or dental hygienist in a compact member state.
 • Graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
 • Successfully complete a clinical assessment for licensure, defined as an examination or process required for licensure that provides evidence of clinical competence in dentistry or dental hygiene.
 • Pass the National Board Examination of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations or another examination accepted by rule as a requirement for licensure.
 • Meet any jurisprudence requirements.
 • Complete a criminal background check.
 • Submit an application and pay applicable fees.
 • Comply with requirements to submit specified information for administrative purposes.

This legislation also made additional changes to dental and dental hygiene licensure requirements in the state by:
 • Removing language in current statute that requires applicants for an initial license to pass Central Regional Dental Testing Services (CRDTS) or any other regional or state practical examination that board determines is comparable to CRDTS;
 • Requiring initial licensure examinations for dentists to include a psychomotor skills examination that is either simulation- or manikin-based, unlike the previous law which allowed for live-patient examinations;
 • Allowing the state dental board to issue a license by credentials to qualified dentists licensed in another state who have practiced for at least one year, rather than three years as required under the previous law; and
 • Requiring applicants for an initial license as a dental hygienist to complete a criminal background check.

Both Iowa Legislature Chambers Pass Bill To Establish Residency Minimums for Dental and Medical Schools
 
Both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly have passed a bill [ [link removed] ] that, if implemented, would require the state’s Board of Regents (BOR) to adopt a policy that requires at least 80% of students admitted to the University of Iowa College of Medicine and College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics to be Iowa residents or individuals who were enrolled at an Iowa post-secondary institution prior to application.
 
Different versions of the bill have passed each chamber. The legislation, which originated in the House, was amended on the Senate floor to include a questionnaire that applicants would be required to complete that includes specific questions regarding an applicant’s connections to the state or, in the case of medical school applicants, intent to complete a residency in the state upon graduation. Additionally, the University of Iowa, in collaboration with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, would be required to submit an annual report to the General Assembly regarding the residency of graduates and medical residents in the year following their completion of education or training.
 
The bill was supported by Republicans [ [link removed] ] who see the residency requirement as a solution to the state’s dentist and physician shortage, but heavily criticized by Democrats [ [link removed] ] in a Senate floor debate who claimed the residency requirement would prevent the schools from enrolling the most qualified candidates.
 
Both chambers must pass the same version of the bill before it can be sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds (R).

Fluoride Ban Passes Florida Senate
 
The Florida Senate passed legislation [ [link removed] ] that would prohibit community water systems in the state from adding fluoride to their drinking water. Included in the state’s farm bill is a provision that prohibits the addition of any chemical, additive or substance to a public water system unless it:
 • meets or surpasses primary or secondary drinking water standards;
 • prevents, reduces or removes contaminants; or
 • improves water quality.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, M.D., Ph.D., have both voiced support [ [link removed] ] for removing fluoride from community water systems.

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ADEA Advocacy in Action
This appears weekly in the ADEA Advocate to summarize and provide direct links to recent advocacy actions taken by ADEA. Please let us know what you think and how we might improve its usefulness.
 
Issues and Resources
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on teledentistry
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
 • ADEA policy brief [ [link removed] ] regarding overprescription of antibiotics
 • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click here [ [link removed] ] .

Key Federal Issues [ [link removed] ]

ADEA U.S. Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Map [ [link removed] ]

Key State Issues [ [link removed] ]

The ADEA Advocate [ [link removed] ] is published weekly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of federal and state issues and events of interest to the academic dentistry and the dental and research communities.
 
©2025
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 202-289-7201
Website: www.adea.org [ [link removed] ]

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA
ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer
 
Bridgette DeHart, J.D.
ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy
 
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Senior Director of State Relations and Advocacy
 
Contact Us:
[email protected] [ mailto:[email protected] ]

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