Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4425
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-16: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-23T08:07:09Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends the Public Health Service Act to expand education, training, and research in palliative and hospice care. It aims to increase the number of faculty and trained professionals in these fields across medical, nursing, and related programs.
Key Provisions
- Section 2 adds Section 759A, authorizing grants and contracts for palliative care and hospice education programs at medical schools, nursing schools, and other programs (such as social work, physician assistant, and chaplaincy). These programs support training, interprofessional education, and community-based initiatives, with priorities for rural, underserved, pediatric, and minority populations. It also establishes:
- Physician training grants for palliative medicine fellowships.
- Academic career awards to support junior faculty.
- Workforce development fellowships for existing faculty.
- Career incentive awards for advanced-degree students.
- Annual authorization of $15 million for fiscal years 2026–2030.
- Section 3 amends existing nurse education grants to include hospice and palliative nursing and adds Section 832 for dedicated nursing training programs, with $5 million authorized annually for 2026–2030.
- Section 4 adds Section 904, directing the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to disseminate information on palliative care benefits, services, and professionals to patients, families, and providers, including targeted materials for underserved groups.
- Section 5 clarifies that funds may not support items or services prohibited under existing assisted-suicide restrictions and specifies that palliative or hospice care is not to be used to cause or assist in causing death.
- Section 6 requires the National Institutes of Health to develop a strategy to expand palliative care research across its institutes and centers and updates reporting requirements beginning in 2026.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Creates new grant authorities focused specifically on palliative and hospice care education and faculty development, expanding beyond prior geriatric-focused programs.
- Adds requirements for information dissemination on palliative care through federal health agencies.
- Directs NIH to intensify research efforts on palliative care for serious illnesses.
- Introduces explicit funding authorizations and service requirements for award recipients.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases administrative responsibilities for the Department of Health and Human Services (including HRSA for grants, NIH for research, and AHRQ for information dissemination).
- Citizens: May improve access to trained palliative care providers, potentially enhancing quality of life for patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses and their families, with emphasis on rural, pediatric, and minority populations.
- International relations: No direct provisions or impacts identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Accredited allopathic and osteopathic medical schools, nursing schools, and programs in social work, physician assistant, chaplaincy, pharmacy, and psychology.
- Health professionals, faculty, and trainees in palliative and hospice care.
- Patients with serious illnesses (including cancer, heart, kidney, lung, and neurodegenerative diseases) and their families or caregivers.
- Federal agencies such as NIH, AHRQ, and HRSA.
- Healthcare facilities and organizations in underserved or rural areas.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Includes explicit restrictions aligning with existing federal policy against using funds for assisted suicide or euthanasia (referencing Public Law 105-12).
- No major constitutional issues are apparent, as the bill focuses on education, training, and research grants.
- Politically, it promotes expansion of palliative care workforce development without altering core Medicare or Medicaid payment structures.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
Cosponsors (9)
Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-6], Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45], Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2], Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-16: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2025-07-16: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-16: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act — issued 2025-07-16 — PDF (24 pages)