S. 1394: Expanding Access to Family Planning Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, known as the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act, aims to enhance funding for family planning services in the United States. The key components of the bill are outlined as follows:

Establishment of a Title X Clinic Fund

The legislation proposes the creation of a Title X Clinic Fund, which will be managed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. This fund will provide financial support for clinics that offer family planning services under Title X of the Public Health Service Act.

Funding Allocation

The bill specifies that the following funds will be appropriated for each fiscal year from 2026 to 2035:

$512 million will be allocated for grants and contracts to support Title X services.
$50 million will be designated for infrastructure needs, such as construction and renovation of Title X clinics, including necessary equipment.

These funds will remain available until they are fully expended.

Conditions on Funding

The bill includes certain conditions that recipients of the funds must follow:

Prohibition on Restrictions: Entities receiving funds cannot disallow other organizations from participating in grant programs for reasons not related to their ability to provide Title X services.
Pregnancy Counseling Requirements: Clinics funded through this act must provide nondirective pregnancy counseling. For patients with a positive pregnancy test, the clinics must offer information and counseling on:

Prenatal care and delivery
Infant care, foster care, and adoption
Pregnancy termination

If a patient requests counseling on these options, clinics are required to give neutral, factual information and referrals when requested, except for any option the patient explicitly indicates no interest in.

Overall Purpose

The overarching goal of the bill is to increase access to family planning services nationwide through improved funding and the establishment of clear guidelines for how these funds can be used in practice.