A coalition of 23 states led by New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts filed a lawsuit on Thursday in Maryland federal court seeking to block new conditions imposed by the Trump administration on Title X family-planning grants.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced in April that applicants for the roughly $286 million in annual Title X funding must align their programs with administration priorities, including eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, recognizing only "male and female" as sexes, and prioritizing abstinence and "natural family planning" over contraception. The policy also penalizes states or providers that refuse to discourage contraception or offer gender-affirming care to transgender patients.
The lawsuit argues the new conditions conflict with the 1970 Title X statute, which requires providers to offer a broad range of counseling and prohibits discrimination against patients. The states further claim the administration adopted the policy without following federal rulemaking procedures, including publishing a proposal and soliciting public comment.
Title X, created in 1970, funds family-planning services such as cancer screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. In New York alone, the program supports 165 clinics serving over 250,000 mostly low-income patients annually. The lawsuit follows a separate legal challenge filed by Planned Parenthood last month in Washington, D.C. federal court, which also relies on Title X funding for dozens of its clinics.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading the coalition, which includes California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia, among others. The states seek to prevent the HHS from stripping funding from providers or states that oppose the administration's agenda.
