Establishes the hospice workforce stabilization and innovation program; grants for staff retention incentives, continuing education, professional certification including board certification in hospice and palliative care, workforce wellness initiatives, and other workforce support activities approved by the department; creates grants for establishing regional hospice workforce pipeline programs.
S09542 would create the “Hospice Workforce Stabilization and Innovation Act” and add a new section to the Public Health Law establishing a statewide hospice workforce retention and training grant program. The Department of Health would administer annual grants of at least $10 million for hospice providers to support staff retention incentives, continuing education, professional certification, wellness initiatives, and other approved workforce supports. The bill also directs the department to create regional hospice workforce pipeline programs funded at $5 million annually to expand training and recruitment for hospice-related roles, including home health aides, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses.
In addition to workforce and training grants, the bill creates a public education collaborative with the State Education Department to promote hospice and palliative care awareness in the public education system. It authorizes awards to educational institutions partnering with local hospice providers for age-appropriate education, career awareness, and general outreach. The bill requires annual reporting to the governor and legislature on expenditures, participation, outcomes, and recommendations, and it takes effect on April 1 after enactment.
The bill would amend the Public Health Law by adding section 4013-a, creating a new state-administered grant structure for hospice workforce stabilization, pipeline development, and public education. It would also appropriate $15 million from the general fund to the Department of Health for immediate use in carrying out the program. Hospice providers licensed under article 40, educational institutions, and employees of hospice providers would be the primary beneficiaries, with priority for providers serving rural, medically underserved, or high-need communities.
The bill text and sponsor findings reflect a strongly supportive posture toward hospice and palliative care, emphasizing workforce shortages, access gaps, and the need for targeted state investment. The stated purpose is to stabilize a strained sector and improve end-of-life care access, especially in underserved areas. No committee transcript or vote data is available, so there is no recorded opposition or formal legislative debate in the provided materials.
The main policy issue identified in the bill is how to fund and target hospice workforce support. The findings note that hospice providers have been left out of broader workforce initiatives because those efforts have relied on Medicaid funding, while hospice is primarily reimbursed by Medicare; this suggests a concern that existing state programs do not fit the sector’s financing structure. Potential points of contention could include the new general-fund appropriation, the minimum annual funding levels, and how grants are allocated among providers, but no specific objections or opposing viewpoints are included in the available record.