Center for Reproductive Rights Comment on Proposed Title X Regulations

Title X is the only federal program that is exclusively dedicated to bringing reproductive health care services to over four million low-income, under- and uninsured women and men. For many women, Title X providers are their primary or only source of health care. During a visit to a Title X site, patients may receive a wide range of services, including birth control, preconception health care, STI testing and treatment, and breast and cervical cancer screenings. Title X funding is a critical portion of a publicly funded family planning center’s fiscal portfolio. That’s because it can be used to cover costs not covered by more restricted funds—for example, the cost of purchasing contraceptives, staff training, and infrastructure costs.

In June, the Trump administration proposed a dangerous new rule that would effectively ban providers that receive federal Title X family planning funds from counseling on or making referrals for abortion care. The proposed rule would also prohibit granting Title X funds to providers that perform abortion—even if they do so outside the Title X program. The proposed rule also includes a number of additional requirements and restrictions that would be detrimental to women’s health. The Center for Reproductive Rights submitted a public comment urging the administration to withdraw the proposed rule because it would devastate the Title X provider network and reshape the Title X program to lower the quality of care Title X patients can receive. The comment also argues that the proposed rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution.