President signs funding package securing oral health investments

President Donald Trump signed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan spending bill Feb. 3, ending the partial government shutdown. The House and Senate approved the FY 2026 funding package, which provides full-year funding for the Department of Health and Human Services and extends funding for the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13.

The legislation largely rejects the administration’s proposed reductions to key health programs and preserves — and in several cases increases — federal investments supporting oral health, dental workforce development, research and access to care.

The funding package includes targeted increases for several oral health programs:

• A $1 million increase for Health Resources and Services Administration oral health workforce programs, bringing total funding to $43 million.

• A $1 million increase for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention oral health activities, totaling $21 million.

• A $5 million increase for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, raising funding to $525 million.

• A $2 million increase for Department of Defense military dental research, for a total of $12 million.

The package also provides more than $50 million in community project funding to expand dental infrastructure and services in more than 15 states.

It extends funding for several health workforce and access programs that support dental care delivery. These include the National Health Service Corps, Teaching Health Centers, and Community Health Centers, all of which receive funding extensions with notable increases.

The legislation also reauthorizes the Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act through fiscal year 2030 and extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities through Dec. 31, 2027.

The funding package includes several policy directives affecting HHS and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH. The bill limits HHS’ ability to delay or withhold appropriated funds and directs the department to maintain adequate staffing levels.

At NIH, the measure protects the existing indirect cost structure and places limits on forward funding grants to help preserve support for new, high-quality research awards. Congress also directs NIH to maintain a transparent process for filling institute and center director vacancies.