No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3206 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3206
To improve access to evidence-based, lifesaving health care for
transgender people, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 19, 2025
Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Schiff, Mr.
Wyden, and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve access to evidence-based, lifesaving health care for
transgender people, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be referred to as the ``Transgender Health Care Access
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Receiving gender-affirming care increases self-esteem
and quality of life and decreases depression, self-harm, and
suicidality in transgender people of all ages.
(2) There is a strong medical consensus about the
importance of health care for transgender people, including
transgender young people. The American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Dermatology,
American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Physician
Assistants, American Medical Association, American Nurses
Association, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology,
American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry, American College
Health Association, American College of Nurse-Midwives,
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American
College of Physicians, American Counseling Association,
American Heart Association, American Medical Student
Association, American Psychiatric Association, American
Psychological Association, American Society for Reproductive
Medicine, American Urological Association, Endocrine Society,
Federation of Pediatric Organizations, GLMA: Health
Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality, The Journal of the
American Medical Association, National Association of Nurse
Practitioners in Women's Health, National Association of Social
Workers, Pediatric Endocrine Society, Pediatrics (Journal of
the American Academy of Pediatrics), United States Professional
Association for Transgender Health (USPATH), World Health
Organization (WHO), World Medical Association, and World
Professional Association for Transgender Health, have all
issued statements in support of health care for transgender
people.
(3) There is a gap in education across health professions
around treating transgender patients. One survey of students at
10 medical schools showed that approximately 80 percent of
students did not feel competent at treating transgender
patients.
(4) Academic literature shows that this education gap is a
significant barrier to appropriate health care.
(5) Experts in gender-affirming care and culturally
competent care for transgender people are improving access to
gender-affirming care through peer-to-peer education.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Gender-affirming care.--The term ``gender-affirming
care''--
(A) means health care designed to treat gender
dysphoria;
(B) includes all supplies, care, and services of a
medical, behavioral health, mental health, surgical,
psychiatric, therapeutic, diagnostic, preventative,
rehabilitative, or supportive nature, including
medication, relating to the treatment of gender
dysphoria; and
(C) excludes conversion therapy.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
SEC. 4. IMPROVING MEDICAL EDUCATION CURRICULA FOR GENDER-AFFIRMING
CARE.
(a) Improving the Provision of Gender-Affirming Care.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services
Administration, shall award grants to eligible entities for the
development, evaluation, and implementation of model curricula,
demonstration projects, and training projects to improve the
provision of gender-affirming care.
(2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under paragraph (1), an entity shall be--
(A) a health care professions school;
(B) a health care delivery site with fellows,
residents, or other health care professional students
or trainees; or
(C) a licensing or accreditation entity for health
care professions schools.
(b) Curricula.--
(1) Topics.--The Secretary shall ensure that curricula
developed pursuant to subsection (a) include instruction on one
or more of the following topics:
(A) Gender-affirming care.
(B) Cultural competency in treating transgender
patients.
(2) Pedagogical approaches.--Curricula developed pursuant
to subsection (a) may employ--
(A) didactic education;
(B) clinical education;
(C) simulated or standardized patient education;
(D) community-based research; and
(E) community-based learning.
(c) Dissemination.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
the National Library of Medicine and the Director of the National
Institutes of Health, in collaboration with medical education
accrediting organizations, shall disseminate model curricula developed
under this section.
(d) Duration of Award.--The period of a grant under this section
shall be 3 years, subject to annual review and continuation by the
Secretary.
(e) Carryover Funds.--The Secretary shall make available funds to
grantees under this section on an annual basis, but may authorize a
grantee to retain the funds for obligation and expenditure through the
end of the 3-year grant period referred to in subsection (f).
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2030.
SEC. 5. TRAINING DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a demonstration
program to award grants to eligible entities to support--
(1) training for medical residents and fellows to practice
gender-affirming care;
(2) training (including for individuals completing clinical
training requirements for licensure) for nurse practitioners,
physician assistants, health service psychologists, clinical
psychologists, counselors, nurses, and social workers to
practice gender-affirming care; and
(3) establishing, maintaining, or improving academic
programs that--
(A) provide training for students or faculty,
including through clinical experiences, to improve
their ability to provide culturally competent gender-
affirming care; and
(B) conduct research to develop evidence-based
practices regarding gender-affirming care, including
curriculum content standards for programs that provide
training for students or faculty as described in
subparagraph (A).
(b) Eligible Entities.--
(1) Training for residents and fellows.--To be eligible to
receive a grant under subsection (a)(1), an entity shall be--
(A) a consortium consisting of--
(i) at least one teaching health center;
and
(ii) the sponsoring institution (or parent
institution of the sponsoring institution) of--
(I) a residency program in primary
care, internal medicine, family
medicine, pediatric medicine,
gynecology, endocrinology, or surgery
that is accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical Education;
or
(II) a fellowship program in a
field identified in subclause (I); or
(B) an institution described in subparagraph
(A)(ii) that provides opportunities for residents or
fellows to train in community-based settings that
provide health care to transgender populations.
(2) Training for other providers.--To be eligible to
receive a grant under subsection (a)(2), an entity shall be--
(A) a teaching health center (as defined in section
749A(f)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
293l-1(f)(3)));
(B) a Federally-qualified health center (as defined
in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2)(B)));
(C) a community mental health center (as defined in
section 1861(ff)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395x(ff)(3)(B)));
(D) a rural health clinic (as defined in section
1861(aa)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395x(aa)(2)));
(E) a health center operated by the Indian Health
Service, an Indian Tribe, a Tribal organization, or an
Urban Indian organization (as defined in section 4 of
the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C.
1603)); or
(F) an entity with a demonstrated record of success
in providing training for nurse practitioners,
physician assistants, health service psychologists,
counselors, nurses, or social workers, including such
entities that serve pediatric populations.
(3) Academic units or programs.--To be eligible to receive
a grant under subsection (a)(3), an entity shall be--
(A) a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine;
(B) a school of nursing;
(C) a physician assistant training program;
(D) a school of pharmacy;
(E) a school of social work;
(F) an accredited public or nonprofit private
hospital;
(G) an accredited medical residency program; or
(H) a public or nonprofit private entity that the
Secretary determines is capable of carrying out such a
grant because of prior experience providing education
on the provision of health care to transgender people.
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) Training grants.--A recipient of a grant under
subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2)--
(A) shall use the grant funds to plan, develop, and
operate a training program for residents and fellows;
and
(B) may use the grant funds to--
(i) support the administration of a program
described in subparagraph (A);
(ii) support professional development for
faculty of a program described in subparagraph
(A); or
(iii) establish, maintain, or improve
departments, divisions, or other units
necessary to implement a program described in
subparagraph (A).
(2) Grants to academic units or programs.--A recipient of a
grant under subsection (a)(3) shall enter into a partnership
with education accrediting organizations or similar
organizations to carry out activities under subsection (a)(3).
(d) Priority.--In making awards under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to eligible entities that--
(1) have a history of providing health care to transgender
people; or
(2) serve areas where access to gender-affirming care is
limited.
(e) Minimum Period of Grants.--The period of a grant under this
section shall be not less than 5 years.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2030.
SEC. 6. EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE AT COMMUNITY
HEALTH CENTERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of
the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award grants or
cooperative agreements to eligible entities to promote the capacity of
community health centers to provide gender-affirming care to
transgender populations.
(b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), an entity shall be--
(1) a teaching health center (as defined in section
749A(f)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293l-
1(f)(3)));
(2) a Federally-qualified health center (as defined in
section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1396d(l)(2)(B)));
(3) a community mental health center (as defined in section
1861(ff)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395x(ff)(3)(B)));
(4) a rural health clinic (as defined in section
1861(aa)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395x(aa)(2)));
(5) a health center operated by the Indian Health Service,
an Indian Tribe, a Tribal organization, or an Urban Indian
organization (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)); or
(6) a State or local entity, such as a State office of
rural health.
(c) Use of Funds.--A grant under subsection (a) shall be used to
promote the capacity of community health centers to provide gender-
affirming care, which may include--
(1) education and training, including professional
development and training on nondiscrimination regulations, for
health care professionals and other staff of health care
providers;
(2) establishing or sustaining a community review board;
(3) updating electronic health records; and
(4) administrative, operational, or technical costs related
to the effective provision of gender-affirming care.
(d) Minimum Period of Grants.--The period of a grant under this
section shall be not less than 3 years.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2030.
SEC. 7. TRAINING RURAL PROVIDERS IN GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants or cooperative
agreements to eligible entities to establish collaborative networks to
improve the quality of gender-affirming care.
(b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible for a grant under subsection
(a), an entity shall be--
(1) a public or nonprofit private health care provider,
such as a critical access hospital or health clinic;
(2) a Federally-qualified health center (as defined in
section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1396d(l)(2)(B)));
(3) a health care professions school;
(4) a health care delivery site that has fellows,
residents, or other health care professional students or
trainees; and
(5) a licensing or accreditation entity for health care
professions schools.
(c) Allowable Activities.--In establishing a collaborative network
as described in subsection (a), a grantee may, with respect to gender-
affirming care, use grant funds--
(1) to assist rural health care providers in the network to
conduct or pursue additional training;
(2) to perform provider-to-provider education and outreach
to rural health care providers; and
(3) to perform patient education.
(d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``rural health care
provider'' means a health care provider serving an area that is not
designated by the United States Census Bureau as an urbanized area or
urban cluster.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2030.
SEC. 8. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
(a) Submission.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the
programs and activities under this Act.
(b) Content.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) a description of--
(A) progress made in implementing programs and
activities under this Act; and
(B) the extent to which such programs and
activities have improved health equity for transgender
populations; and
(2) recommendations for workforce development to improve
access to, and the quality of, gender-affirming care for
transgender populations.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line