Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
Sponsored By: Senator Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would expand the palliative and hospice workforce. It would create coordinated federal programs for education, training, career incentives, public information, and NIH research to strengthen palliative and hospice care across hospitals, clinics, homes, and long-term care settings.
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- Families and patients: Would fund public information and targeted materials for Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Health Administration beneficiaries and medically underserved groups, and promote palliative care starting at diagnosis across pediatric and adult populations.
- Health professionals and workforce: Would fund education grants, physician training, faculty career awards, fellowships, and career incentive awards across medicine, nursing, social work, chaplaincy, pharmacy, psychology, and related fields. Fellowship awards would be capped at up to $150,000 per person and the fellowship program would be limited to funding no more than 24 programs. Career incentives would carry service obligations of at least five years.
- Research and coordination: Would require the National Institutes of Health to develop a nationwide palliative care research strategy and, beginning January 1, 2026, permit NIH to conduct or support palliative care research. The bill also authorizes a coordinating hospice and palliative nursing training program.
*Would authorize about $15 million per year for the workforce programs and $5 million per year for hospice and palliative nursing training for fiscal years 2026–2030.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
More palliative workforce training
If enacted, the bill would fund new palliative care training programs for doctors, nurses, and other clinicians. It would authorize $15 million per year for physician training for FY2026–2030. It would authorize $5 million per year for nursing and allied workforce training for FY2026–2030. Fellowships would be capped at $150,000 per person and limited to 24 programs. Career incentive awards would require recipients to teach or practice palliative care for at least five years.
Federal palliative care information
If enacted, the bill would let a Federal Director publish palliative care information for patients, families, and health workers. Materials must describe palliative and hospice services and say palliative care may begin at diagnosis and alongside treatment. Materials would target Medicare, Medicaid, VA beneficiaries, pediatric patients, and underserved groups. Materials must be posted on relevant Federal websites and developed with stakeholder input.
NIH palliative research expansion
If enacted, the bill would direct NIH to make and carry out a nationwide plan to expand palliative care research. The plan would target cancer, major organ diseases, infections, and neurodegenerative illnesses. The bill would also amend NIH law to explicitly allow NIH to conduct or support palliative care research beginning January 1, 2026. The change itself does not appropriate funds.
Limits on program uses and training
If enacted, the bill would bar using funds under the Act to provide palliative or hospice care for the purpose of causing a patient's death. It would also bar using funds to provide, promote, or train on any item or service that Federal law forbids under Public Law 105‑12. These rules would limit what grantees and training programs can do with federal money.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Cosponsors
Shelley Capito
WV • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS]
KS • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
WY • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Cindy Hyde-Smith
MS • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Mike Rounds
SD • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
AK • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
ME • I
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]
TN • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
ME • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
John Boozman
AR • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 7/30/2025
Roger Wicker
MS • R
Sponsored 7/30/2025
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 9/11/2025
Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV]
WV • R
Sponsored 9/11/2025
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 2/10/2026
Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]
PA • R
Sponsored 2/10/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov