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.