House Votes to Counteract Federal Changes to Title X

Legislation sets aside $8 million to offset federal funding cuts March 27, 2019 – (BOSTON) – Rep. Elizabeth Malia (D-11th Suffolk) joined her colleagues in the House in passing legislation that provides $8 million to women’s reproductive health organizations in Massachusetts to offset the loss of federal funding through the Trump Administration’s changes to the Title X program. The House approved the measure by an overwhelming vote of 139 to 14. The funding, valued at $8 million through Fiscal Year 2019 and 2020, is to ensure the continuity of clinical family planning services, education and counseling, physical exams, and sexually transmitted disease testing and cancer screening at Massachusetts organizations across the Commonwealth. Under the Title X program, clinical family planning providers focus on serving clients under 250 per cent of the federal poverty level. In July 2018, the House voted to pass legislation repealing unconstitutional laws that impose criminal penalties for abortion and contraception in Massachusetts. ###