The Maryland Department of Health is starting to use $3.5 million in funds allocated for abortion care training that were held during a game of political football between the state legislature and the Hogan administration.

The department announced Tuesday that it is accepting requests for applications for programs that will increase the number of healthcare professionals trained in abortion care. The state will also use the money to increase diversity in abortion care education and support the identification of clinical sites that need training.

“Gov. Wes Moore understands that reproductive freedom is non-negotiable and that access to safe, legal abortion is an essential health care service in this country,” said MDH Secretary Laura Herrera Scott. “We strongly encourage qualified health providers to respond to the request for applications and implement comprehensive training programs that keep abortion care safe and accessible in Maryland.”

The $3.5 million was originally appropriated to MDH last session, when the General Assembly overrode a veto from former-Gov. Larry Hogan on a bill to expand access to abortion. The bill allowed nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physicians assistants to perform abortions and allocated $3.5 million annual for training.

Hogan used discretionary budget power to withhold those funds.

On his first day in office, Moore released those funds back to MDH.

“The program will help ensure that Maryland remains a safe haven for abortion and is critical to providing safe and supportive reproductive health care access,” Moore said.

The funding will be available to hospitals and other training facilities between July 2023 and the end of June 2024.