This bill, titled the Reproductive Health Care Training Act of 2026, establishes a program within the Department of Health and Human Services to expand abortion care training and access. The Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration, is authorized to award grants or contracts to eligible entities. These entities include accredited health professions schools, academic health centers, and other appropriate public or private nonprofit health care providers, including sexual and reproductive health providers. The primary purpose of these awards is to expand and support education for students, residents, and advanced practice clinicians in states that permit comprehensive training in abortion care. The program also aims to prepare and encourage these trainees to serve as abortion providers after completing their training. Priority for awards will be given to entities located in states where such training is permitted, those supporting training for students from states with limited training, and minority-serving institutions. Funds can be used for various activities, including supporting and expanding clinical training, developing programs that define clinical training activities (especially for racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, Tribal, and medically underserved communities), and addressing challenges to accessing abortion care. The bill also promotes the use of telehealth, integration of abortion training into health care education, and interprofessional training. Additionally, funds can support strategic partnerships, improve recruitment and retention of health care professionals in underserved communities, train instructors, and provide scholarships or stipends for trainees focusing on abortion care in these communities. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out these provisions. Entities receiving awards must submit annual reports on their financial and programmatic performance, and the Secretary is required to submit annual reports to Congress summarizing the program's performance and its impact on expanding access to abortion services.
This bill, titled the Reproductive Health Care Training Act of 2026, establishes a program within the Department of Health and Human Services to expand abortion care training and access. The Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration, is authorized to award grants or contracts to eligible entities. These entities include accredited health professions schools, academic health centers, and other appropriate public or private nonprofit health care providers, including sexual and reproductive health providers. The primary purpose of these awards is to expand and support education for students, residents, and advanced practice clinicians in states that permit comprehensive training in abortion care. The program also aims to prepare and encourage these trainees to serve as abortion providers after completing their training. Priority for awards will be given to entities located in states where such training is permitted, those supporting training for students from states with limited training, and minority-serving institutions. Funds can be used for various activities, including supporting and expanding clinical training, developing programs that define clinical training activities (especially for racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, Tribal, and medically underserved communities), and addressing challenges to accessing abortion care. The bill also promotes the use of telehealth, integration of abortion training into health care education, and interprofessional training. Additionally, funds can support strategic partnerships, improve recruitment and retention of health care professionals in underserved communities, train instructors, and provide scholarships or stipends for trainees focusing on abortion care in these communities. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out these provisions. Entities receiving awards must submit annual reports on their financial and programmatic performance, and the Secretary is required to submit annual reports to Congress summarizing the program's performance and its impact on expanding access to abortion services.