Reproductive Health Care Training Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- S. 4878
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-24: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-10T15:06:58Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation establishes a federal grant program to expand training in abortion care for health care students, residents, and advanced practice clinicians. It aims to increase the number of providers offering such services after training, with a focus on states where comprehensive training is allowed and on medically underserved communities.
Key Provisions
- Grant Program Administration: The Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, awards grants or contracts to eligible entities such as accredited health professions schools, academic health centers, and nonprofit safety net providers.
- Eligible Activities: Funds support clinical training in abortion care, development of training programs (including telehealth and care for racial/ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, Tribal, and underserved groups), strategic partnerships with community organizations, recruitment and retention efforts, instructor training, transition support for new providers, and scholarships or stipends for trainees.
- Priority Criteria: Awards prioritize entities in states permitting such training, those training providers from states with limited options, and minority-serving institutions.
- Reporting Requirements: Recipients submit annual reports on program performance (e.g., number of trainees and partnerships), and the Secretary reports summaries to Congress without identifying individuals.
- Funding: Authorizes $25,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
- Supplement Rule: Federal funds add to, but do not replace, existing support under titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill creates a new standalone education program focused on abortion care training. It does not amend core provisions of the Public Health Service Act but explicitly supplements titles VII and VIII without supplanting them, introducing targeted federal support for this area of health professions education.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of Health and Human Services gains responsibility for administering the program, including application reviews, fund distribution, and congressional reporting.
- Citizens: May increase availability of trained abortion providers in permitted states and medically underserved areas, potentially improving access for targeted populations such as racial/ethnic minorities and those in rural or Tribal communities.
- International Relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Health professions schools, academic health centers, and reproductive health providers eligible for grants.
- Health care students, residents, and advanced practice clinicians receiving training or financial support.
- Minority-serving institutions and organizations serving medically underserved communities.
- State governments in "covered states" where training is permissible.
- Congressional committees overseeing health policy.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The legislation ties funding eligibility to state laws on abortion training permissibility, which could raise questions about federal-state interactions in health policy. It emphasizes interprofessional training and equity-focused care but contains no explicit constitutional analysis or mandates. The program operates within existing public health authorities without altering broader federal restrictions on abortion-related funding.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA], Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA], Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-24: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2026-06-24: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Reproductive Health Care Training Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-24 — PDF (7 pages)