Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act

This bill aims to grow and train the palliative and hospice care workforce so people with serious illnesses get better support for pain, symptoms, and decision-making—alongside other treatments, starting at diagnosis. It funds new and expanded training programs across medical, nursing, social work, physician assistant, chaplaincy, and other schools; sets priorities for rural and underserved communities, children, and racial and ethnic minorities; and supports teaching across settings like clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and home care . It also funds physician fellowships, career awards for junior faculty to teach palliative care, and short intensive courses to upskill current faculty and practitioners, with targets and caps on award sizes and numbers . Separate grants support nurse training programs and curriculum development in palliative care . The bill also directs federal agencies to share clear, patient-friendly information on what palliative care offers and to post it online, including for Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and family caregivers . It expands NIH work to study how to improve quality of life for people with serious diseases like cancer, heart and lung disease, infections, and dementia . Funds cannot be used to cause or assist in causing a patient’s death, and the bill restates that palliative and hospice care are not for that purpose .

Key points

• Training focus: team-based care that manages pain and symptoms, supports shared decisions, coordinates care, and addresses emotional and spiritual needs, starting at diagnosis and alongside curative treatment .
• Who benefits: patients and families, especially in rural or underserved areas, Tribal communities, pediatric care, and racial and ethnic minority populations .
• Funding: up to $15 million per year for core programs (2026–2030), plus $5 million per year for nursing programs (2026–2030) .
• Timing: most changes start 90 days after the bill becomes law .

Small summary table

• Who is affected: Health schools and training programs; doctors, nurses, social workers, PAs, chaplains, pharmacists, psychologists; patients and families, including those on Medicare, Medicaid, and VA care .
• What changes: Grants, fellowships, and career awards to expand teaching and training; new public information on palliative care; expanded NIH research on palliative care 