S. 4878

119 S4878 IS: Reproductive Health Care Training Act of 2026
 U.S. Senate
 2026-06-24
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 II  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  S. 4878  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   June 24, 2026   Ms. Baldwin  (for herself,  Mrs. Murray ,  Ms. Warren , and  Ms. Hirono ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions    A BILL
To provide for the establishment of an education program to expand abortion care training and access.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Reproductive Health Care Training Act of 2026  .
2.
Education program to expand abortion care training and access
(a)
In general
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the  Secretary ), acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a program to award grants or contracts to eligible entities to carry out the activities described in subsection (e) for the purposes of—
(1)
expanding and supporting education for students, residents, or advanced practice clinicians in a covered State that permits comprehensive training in abortion care; and
(2)
preparing and encouraging each such student, resident, and advanced practice clinician training in a covered State to serve as an abortion provider after completing such training.
(b)
Application
To be eligible to receive an award under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including—
(1)
a certification that such eligible entity will use amounts provided to the entity to carry out the activities described in subsection (e); and
(2)
a description of how such eligible entity will carry out such activities.
(c)
Eligible entity
For purposes of this section, the term  eligible entity  includes accredited health professions schools, academic health centers, and other appropriate public or private nonprofit health care safety net providers, including sexual and reproductive health providers, as determined by the Secretary.
(d)
Priority
In making awards under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—
(1)
are located in a covered State in which clinical training for health care students, residents, and advanced practice clinicians in abortion care is permitted or comprehensively taught;
(2)
support clinical training in abortion care for health care students, residents, and advanced practice clinicians from States where such training is otherwise limited; or
(3)
are minority serving institutions or institutions that provide training to increase underrepresented minority health professions.
(e)
Use of funds
An eligible entity shall use funds made available under an award under this section to carry out the following activities:
(1)
Support or expand clinical training for health care students, residents, and advanced practice clinicians in abortion care.
(2)
Develop and operate programs to train health care students, residents, and advanced practice clinicians in abortion care by—
(A)
defining a set of clinical training activities related to abortion care, including those that include care for racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, Tribal, and medically underserved communities;
(B)
identifying and addressing challenges to accessing abortion care, including the needs of racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, Tribal, and medically underserved communities;
(C)
supporting the use of telehealth technologies and practices related to abortion care;
(D)
integrating abortion training into health care education; and
(E)
promoting interprofessional training that includes non-obstetrician–gynecologist abortion providers.
(3)
Develop or expand strategic partnerships with community health organizations or other eligible entities to enhance access to abortion care and improve health outcomes.
(4)
Develop, implement, and evaluate methods to improve recruitment and retention of health care students and advanced practice clinicians from medically underserved communities to increase access to abortion care.
(5)
Train and support instructors to serve medically underserved communities.
(6)
Prepare health care students, residents, or advanced practice clinicians for transition into clinical practice that includes abortion care, with a focus on medically underserved communities.
(7)
Provide scholarships or stipends to health care students, residents, or advanced practice clinicians that are pursing training in abortion care, with a focus on medically underserved communities.
(f)
Supplement not supplant
Federal funds appropriated to carry out this section shall supplement not supplant funds otherwise made available to carry out title VII and title VIII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.  and 296 et seq.).
(g)
Reporting
(1)
Reports from entities
Each entity that receives an award under this section shall submit an annual report to the Secretary on the financial and programmatic performance under such award, which may include factors such as the number of trainees, the number of professions and disciplines, the number of partnerships with health care delivery sites, the number of faculty and practicing health care professionals who participated in continuing education programs, and other factors, as the Secretary may require, in a manner that does not allow for identification of patients, individual providers, or other participants.
(2)
Reports to Congress
At the end of each year in which the Secretary makes awards under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that provides a summary of the financial and programmatic performance of such awards, which may include factors such as the number trainees, the number of professions and disciplines, the number of partnerships with health care delivery sites, the number of faculty and practicing health care professionals who participated in continuing education programs, and other factors that assess the impact of the program on the expansion of access to abortion services, in a manner that does not disclose any identifiable information of patients, individual providers, or other participants.
(h)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Covered State
The term  covered State  means a State, Puerto Rico, and a territory or possession of the United States in which comprehensive training for abortion care is permissible.
(2)
Medically underserved community
The term  medically underserved community  has the meaning given such term in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 295p ).
(i)
Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.