G-2403-20357

NCSL is the bipartisan membership organization serving the nation’s 7,386 state legislators and over 30,000 legislative staff in all states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. NCSL does not advocate for any state policy or systems change but does provide its members, state legislators and legislative staff, with policy research, legislative tracking, publications, and educational opportunities to connect with national experts and other legislators to discuss potential policy solutions.

NCSL has been a grantee partner of CareQuest Institute since 2014, with a consistent focus on educational publications and convenings, highlighting effective oral health practices and policy options. During the 2023-24 grant year, more than 30 legislators and legislative staff from 25 states received additional in-person education on the landscape of oral health in the country, especially as it relates to children's oral health. At least two legislators asked for more information following the convening to consider policy options for their respective states. Almost 100 people attended the educational webinar on oral health and more than 20,000 people will receive a copy of the publication (still in progress).

NCSL determines the focus of proposed activities based on feedback from members and through discussions with CareQuest Institute and OPEN. Examples of past topics highlighted are workforce solutions, rural oral health strategies, and maternal and child oral health. With funding, NCSL will continue to deliver high-quality information and research, highlight effective policies and practices and share lessons learned among state decisionmakers. This includes webinars through OPEN, digital publications, training for state legislators and legislative staff on oral health, technical assistance to CareQuest Institute grantees, and the tracking of enacted legislation on children’s and pregnancy-related oral health and other oral health-related legislation.

The budget for this proposal is $70,000, of which the majority is allocated for staff time. The remainder of the budget is allocated for meeting expenses, information technology costs, and travel costs for staff to one project-related event. This request represents 0.2% of the organization’s overall budget.