119-S-2287 Journalist Public Summary
119 · S 2287 Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
A bipartisan Senate bill would expand training, faculty, and research in palliative and hospice care, direct federal agencies to share plain-language information with patients and families, and authorize targeted funding for workforce development—now moving through the Senate HELP Committee after a March 19, 2026 hearing.
Headline Summary
A bipartisan bill to grow the palliative and hospice care workforce, boost training and research, and make it easier for patients and families to understand and access these services.
What It Does
S. 2287 (the "Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act") would fund education programs across medical, nursing, social work, physician assistant, pharmacy, psychology, and chaplaincy schools; support faculty careers and short fellowships; coordinate public information about palliative care; and direct NIH to expand research in this field. It also clarifies that funds cannot be used for assisted suicide and that palliative/hospice care is not provided to cause death.
- Creates grants to build and expand palliative and hospice education programs, with priorities for rural, underserved, pediatric, and minority populations.
- Funds physician training and interprofessional fellowships to upskill current faculty and clinicians.
- Offers academic career awards to help junior faculty build long-term palliative-care teaching careers.
- Supports nursing-focused training and curricula development.
- Directs federal agencies to publish patient- and caregiver-friendly materials explaining palliative care across the illness journey.
- Requires NIH to implement a cross-institute strategy to strengthen palliative care research.
Key Numbers
Who’s For It
- Sponsors and co-sponsors: A bipartisan group led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D‑WI), joined by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R‑WV), Jeff Merkley (D‑OR), Roger Marshall (R‑KS), Maria Cantwell (D‑WA), John Barrasso (R‑WY), Peter Welch (D‑VT), Cindy Hyde‑Smith (R‑MS), Jack Reed (D‑RI), Mike Rounds (R‑SD), Jacky Rosen (D‑NV), Lisa Murkowski (R‑AK), Angus King (I‑ME), Marsha Blackburn (R‑TN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D‑NY), Susan Collins (R‑ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D‑RI), and John Boozman (R‑AR).
- What supporters say: It will relieve workforce shortages, improve quality of life for people with serious illness, help caregivers navigate complex decisions, and extend expertise to rural and underserved communities.
Who’s Against It
No formal opposition is recorded in the provided history. Common concerns that could arise in debate include:
- Cost and whether new grants duplicate existing programs.
- Whether workforce gains will reach rural and frontier areas quickly enough.
- Confusion between palliative care and assisted dying—addressed here by explicit prohibitions and clarifications.
- Preference by some to shift resources to direct services rather than education and research.
What’s Next
As of March 20, 2026, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has held a hearing (March 19, 2026). Next steps typically include a committee markup and vote. If approved, the bill would move to the full Senate, then to the House. If both chambers pass it and the President signs it, most provisions would take effect 90 days after enactment.
Discussion