the House and the Senate. Despite being amended onto SB45 (the bill in which our dental network leasing language passed), the provision was ultimately removed after op- position from physician groups.


Local Water Fluoridation Decision Making: This year, the MDA assisted the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health in getting HB1040 filed. This bill would have required that before turning off water fluoridation, local water districts receive information from their respective public health department about the benefits and effects of water fluoridation in their community. This bill did not make it across the finish line, but we look forward to offering support in 2024 if filed again.


LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024 SESSION


Each summer, the MDA Legislative and Regulatory Committee (LRC) convenes to discuss and propose the association’s legislative agenda for the upcoming Missouri legislative session.


This summer, our LRC, chaired by Dr. Ron Wilkerson, will contemplate a few differ- ent legislative priorities for 2024. MLR, or “medical loss ratio”, will likely be on our 2024 legislative agenda following Massachusetts’s ballot initiative success last year. Addition- ally, we may consider filing legislation to join the dentist and dental hygienists compact, a multi-state initiative that would allow greater mobility for dentists and hygienists to get licensed and practice in other states. The issue we hear about most from our members, however, continues to be workforce shortag- es. Stay tuned in the coming months for our 2024 MDA legislative agenda to be released and save the date for our 2024 Dental Day at the Capitol, Wednesday, March 6!


On behalf of Gamble & Schlemeier (and the entire MDA lobby team), thank you for al- lowing us to represent the MDA in the halls of our state capitol for yet another successful legislative session. It’s a privilege to serve as your legislative liaison, and I look forward to continuing our work together over the interim and into 2024.


Contact Olivia with any questions, olivia@molobby.com.


ISSUE 2 | SUMMER 2023 | focus 17


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