The Trump administration is reinstating nearly $2 million in Title X funding to Oklahoma and Tennessee, reversing a Biden-era decision that cut the states from the federal family planning program over rule compliance issues, The Hill reported.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health confirmed to The Hill that it was awarded $1.96 million under the Title X program. A department spokesperson said the total award could be higher, depending on the final allocation. The Tennessee Department of Health also confirmed receipt of an award notice, though a spokesperson said in an email that "it is too early to speculate on how the Department will obligate the funding."
Title X is the only federal program specifically dedicated to providing birth control and reproductive health services to low-income Americans. In 2013, nearly 4,000 clinics serving about 2.8 million people were supported by Title X, according to nonprofit health advocacy group KFF.
Both Oklahoma and Tennessee, long-time Title X recipients, were disqualified from the program in 2023 for refusing to follow a federal rule requiring comprehensive pregnancy counseling and abortion referrals upon request. In response, each state filed lawsuits challenging their removal from the program.
Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), said the recent awards appear to be linked to those legal disputes.
"The government did something that I have never seen before, which is make an award without an application and outside of a competitive cycle," she said.
Coleman noted that the Trump administration has the legal authority to propose changes to Title X rules, as it did in 2019. However, she questioned why the administration did not go through the standard process in this case.
"I hope when we are able to see the settlement paperwork, it will become clear … is the U.S. government saying to these two health departments you are allowed to ignore the law, and you can have the money anyway?" she said.
The decision to restore funds comes just one day after the Trump administration abruptly revoked Title X funding from 16 groups, including nine Planned Parenthood affiliates. That move further reduced access to Title X-supported services across the country.
Currently, at least seven states — California, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming — do not have a single Title X-funded clinic or organization, according to the NFPRHA.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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