View this email in your browser [ [link removed] ] .

American Dental Education Association


Volume 3, No. 70, February 20, 2025

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary
 
The U.S. Senate confirmed [ [link removed] ] Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as the Health and Human Services Secretary in a 52-48 vote, with most votes falling along party lines. However, Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined Democrats in opposing the nomination. As head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kennedy will oversee key federal health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His appointment places him in a crucial role in shaping national health policies.
 
During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy denied being anti-vaccine, stating that he is "pro-safety" and acknowledging the importance of vaccines in health care. Despite this, he has a long history of promoting false and misleading claims that have contributed to vaccine hesitancy in the United States. His past activism on this issue raised concerns among lawmakers about his ability to lead an agency responsible for public health initiatives, including vaccination programs.
 
Kennedy also faced scrutiny for several factual errors in his understanding of Medicare and Medicaid. He incorrectly described Medicare Part A, failed to acknowledge the role of private insurers in Medicare Advantage and misstated the sources of Medicaid funding. He inaccurately claimed that Medicaid is fully funded by the federal government when it is actually a joint state-federal program. These inaccuracies reinforced doubts about his preparedness to manage HHS.

Confirmation Hearing Held for Education Secretary
 
Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon assured a congressional panel that President Donald Trump does not intend to defund the Department of Education (ED), despite his past statements about dismantling it. She emphasized that any decision about the agency’s future would involve collaboration with Congress. Specifically, she acknowledged that ED cannot be eliminated without an act of Congress.
 
During her confirmation hearing [ [link removed] ] before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), McMahon stated that the administration aims to develop a well-structured plan that lawmakers can support. She clarified that the goal is not to eliminate funding for education programs, but to improve the Department’s efficiency.
 
However, Trump is expected to issue an executive order to begin dismantling ED. This order would involve transferring certain programs to other federal agencies and evaluating necessary legislative changes to facilitate the Department’s closure.
 
McMahon reassured lawmakers that critical funding programs, such as Pell Grants for low-income college students, would continue and potentially expand to include short-term workforce training. Furthermore, McMahon affirmed her commitment to maintaining Title I funds for low-income school districts and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds for students with disabilities, both of which are appropriated by Congress.
 
The Senate HELP Committee is scheduled to vote on McMahon’s confirmation Thursday, Feb. 20. If her nomination is voted out of committee, the nomination will then head to the Senate floor for a final vote and confirmation.

Education Department Issues Guidance on Race Based Programs
 
The Department of Education (ED) has issued guidance to educational institutions at all levels to eliminate race-based considerations in admissions, hiring and other programs. On Feb. 14, in a Dear Colleague [ [link removed] ] letter to schools receiving federal funding, ED mandated that race preferences in areas such as scholarships, disciplinary actions and hiring must be discontinued. According to the guidance schools that fail to comply by Feb. 28 risk losing federal funding.
 
Specifically, according to the Dear Colleague letter, “Federal law…prohibits covered entities from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life. Put simply, educational institutions may neither separate or segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race.” Therefore, schools must examine everything from recruitment strategies and scholarship criteria to student organization funding and faculty hiring practices to ensure they are in compliance with this mandate.
 
ED also notes that, “race-based decision-making, no matter the form, remains impermissible. For example, a school may not use students’ personal essays, writing samples, participation in extracurriculars, or other cues as a means of determining or predicting a student’s race and favoring or disfavoring such students. Relying on non-racial information as a proxy for race, and making decisions based on that information, violates the law.”
 
Furthermore, the Department advises all educational institutions to: “(1) ensure that their policies and actions comply with existing civil rights law; (2) cease all efforts to circumvent prohibitions on the use of race by relying on proxies or other indirect means to accomplish such ends; and (3) cease all reliance on third-party contractors, clearinghouses, or aggregators that are being used by institutions in an effort to circumvent prohibited uses of race.”
 
Though schools have 14 days to comply with this mandate, ED has not yet fully detailed how it will enforce compliance or assess institutions’ adherence to the new policies. However, the Department has established a complaint system through its Office of Civil Rights for individuals who believe an institution has violated these new guidelines.
 
This mandate builds on the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard [ [link removed] ] and extends beyond higher education to include elementary, middle and high schools. It requires schools to “evaluate students based solely on merit, accomplishment, and character.”
 
It also directly challenges diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, which the Department argues have led to “widespread censorship” and a “repressive viewpoint monoculture” on campuses. ED claims these programs have contributed to censorship through actions, such as deplatforming speakers with differing views and using bias response teams to investigate individuals who challenge institutional racial policies.
 
ADEA will continue to monitor ED communications on this and other matters and report on them. Questions about compliance or other actions should be directed to the institution’s on campus legal counsel.

Mississippi House Advances Bill to Expand Rural Dentist Scholarship Program
 
Mississippi House Bill 531 (HB 531 [ [link removed] ] ) has successfully passed out of the House, proposing an expansion of the Mississippi Rural Dentist Scholarship Program. The bill seeks to amend state law to increase the number of students admitted to the program each year from three to six.
 
Designed to address the shortage of dental professionals in rural and underserved areas, the program [ [link removed] ] recruits and supports undergraduate students with an interest in rural dentistry. In partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the initiative provides mentorship, specialized coursework and resources to strengthen students’ chances of gaining admission to dental school and succeeding in rural practice.
 
If enacted, the law will take effect on July 1—doubling the program’s reach and furthering efforts to improve access to dental care in Mississippi’s underserved communities.

Virginia Legislature Advances Bill to Extend Faculty Licensure for Foreign-trained Dentists
 
Virginia Senate Bill 1360 (SB 1360 [ [link removed] ] ) and its companion, House Bill 1899 (HB 1899), have successfully passed both chambers of the state legislature, with SB 1360 clearing the State Senate on Feb. 3 and the State House of Representatives on Feb. 14. The legislation removes the July 1, 2025, sunset provision on an existing law that allows the Virginia Board of Dentistry to grant faculty licenses—without examination—to foreign-trained dentists who meet credentialing standards set by an accredited dental program.
 
Under this provision, graduates of international dental schools can obtain a faculty license to teach in Virginia’s accredited dental programs if they receive a certification letter from a dean or program director affirming their clinical competency and experience. By making this pathway permanent, the bill ensures continued access to qualified international dental educators, strengthening the state’s academic and clinical training programs. The legislation now moves to the governor’s desk for final approval.

Indiana House Advances Dental Hygienist Compact Bill to Expand Licensure Portability
 
On Feb. 4, the Indiana House of Representatives passed House Bill 1031 [ [link removed] ] , which proposes Indiana’s participation in the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (DDH Compact). This compact aims to enhance licensure portability for dental professionals across member states.
 
The DDH Compact is currently in the implementation phase. The Compact Commission [ [link removed] ] is now holding regular meetings and discussing rules for implementation. Each member state will appoint one commissioner selected by the state’s licensing authority. The compact is currently in the implementation phase.
 
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.

The compact has been adopted by 10 states [ [link removed] ] and legislation to join the compact is currently active in 16 states.

ADEA/AADOCR/Friends of NIDCR Advocacy Day 2025!
 
From Wednesday, April 2, 2025, through Thursday, April 3, 2025, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) and the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) will come together for Advocacy Day 2025 in Washington, DC.
 
This in-person event on Capitol Hill will include:
 • A legislative briefing and advocacy training featuring expert speakers.
 • Opportunities to meet with targeted congressional offices, including the chance to connect with your own elected officials.

Advocacy Day is your chance to help shape the future of dental, oral and craniofacial research and education. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard!
 
The deadline to register for Advocacy Day is February Feb. 28, 2025.
 
Please encourage faculty, researchers and students at your institution to participate. Interested faculty, researchers and students can register online [ [link removed] ] .

[[link removed]]


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] ]

twitter
[[link removed]]


Subscribe
[link removed][0]&p_colname=p_last_nm&p_varname=p_val_arr[1]&p_colname=p_alias&p_varname=p_val_arr[2]&p_colname=p_login_id&p_varname=p_val_arr[3]&p_colname=p_passwd&p_context=NEWSLETTER&p_success_url=censsaindprofile.section_update%3Fp_profile_ty%3DINDIVIDUAL_PROFILE%26p_skip_confirm_fl%3DY%26p_section_nm%3DNewsletters%26p_format%3D110%26p_msg_txt%3D%26p_cust_id%3D%26p_referrer%3D

Unsubscribe
[link removed]

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] ]

Powered by Higher Logic [link removed]