Sponsors (24)
Introduced July 15, 2025 by Tammy Baldwin · Last progress July 15, 2025
The bill makes a modest, targeted federal investment to expand palliative care training, information, and research coordination—likely improving access and quality for seriously ill patients—while adding recurring federal costs, administrative conditions and limits that could constrain reach, deter some applicants, and unintentionally restrict certain end‑of‑life practices.
Healthcare workers (physicians, nurses, social workers, trainees) will get expanded, federally funded palliative and hospice training—increasing workforce capacity and improving care for seriously ill patients across hospitals, hospices, homes, and long‑term care.
Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, veterans, and underserved populations will receive standardized, evidence‑based information about palliative care options, improving informed decision‑making and awareness of available services.
The Act provides predictable federal support for palliative education programs (notably $15M/year FY2026–2030 plus additional grant funding), creating sustained funding that helps institutions plan training and faculty development.
Taxpayers will finance new recurring federal programs (notably roughly $20M/year in specified grant funding plus costs for materials and administration), increasing federal outlays without specified offsets.
The Act imposes a 5‑year service/teaching obligation on some grant recipients, which could deter applicants, constrain career flexibility, and reduce the pool of trainees entering palliative care.
A cap on awards (maximum number of programs and per‑award limits) and rules to avoid duplication may restrict geographic reach and leave gaps in areas (rural, tribal, underserved) that need expanded training and services.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Creates federal grant programs, public education, and a trans‑NIH research strategy to expand palliative and hospice care training, education, and research, with limited authorized funding.
Creates new federal grant and contract programs, education and public outreach, and a cross‑NIH research strategy to expand training and workforce development in palliative and hospice care. It directs HHS to fund interprofessional training across clinical, community, and educational settings, requires AHRQ to disseminate patient‑facing information, and directs NIH to coordinate and report on palliative care research. Sets program priorities to benefit rural, underserved, tribal, pediatric, and racial/ethnic minority populations, authorizes limited annual funding for one training program, and expressly bars use of funds to provide or promote services that federal law already prohibits (including assisted suicide) or to cause a patient’s death.