A bill to amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions, and for other purposes.
Summary
This legislation aims to amend the Public Health Service Act to change how federal Title X family planning funds are distributed. Specifically, it proposes to bar the Department of Health and Human Services from awarding these grants to any entity that provides abortion services. Title X is a federal program that currently provides funding for reproductive healthcare, including contraception, cancer screenings, and STI testing, primarily for low-income individuals. If enacted, this bill would require healthcare providers to choose between receiving federal family planning funds and continuing to offer abortion services. This could result in a significant shift in where citizens access reproductive health services, as organizations that provide both family planning and abortions would no longer be eligible for this specific federal support. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for further consideration.