The Kansas Senate on Monday advanced for a final vote a bill (SB 436) that would permanently shift Title X funding away from private family planning clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports.
According to the Capital-Journal, the measure could receive a final vote on Tuesday (Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal, 3/21).
Background
Under the latest defunding bill, the state would allocate Title X money first to public health departments and facilities before distributing any remaining funds to Planned Parenthood and other private family planning clinics. Title X funding is primarily used to provide low-income individuals with cancer screenings, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, contraception and other family planning services. Title X funds cannot be used for abortion care.
The measure would make permanent a policy that state lawmakers have included in annual budgets since 2011. Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the provision. However, the organization decided to drop the legal challenge after the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2014 reversed a lower court ruling in the case and permitted the state to cease funding Planned Parenthood while the lawsuit continued.
The bill comes amid other state efforts to target federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Earlier this year, Gov. Sam Brownback (R) announced plans to block the organization from receiving Medicaid funding (Women's Health Policy Report, 3/10). However, despite Brownback's orders, state officials have continued to allow Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri (Topeka Capital-Journal, 3/21).
Lawmakers reject LARC amendment
On Monday, state lawmakers rejected an amendment to SB 436 that would have required the state's Department of Health and Environment to work with family planning providers to increase low-income women's access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) (Lowry, Wichita Eagle, 3/21). The amendment, proposed by state Sen. Marci Francisco (D), was based on a Colorado LARC program that helped lower the pregnancy rate among teenagers in the state by 40 percent since 2008 (Topeka Capital-Journal, 3/21).
Elise Higgins, a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood, criticized state Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook (R), who spoke out against the amendment. Higgins stated, "The majority of Kansas women of all faiths and races use birth control ... This is 2016, and every Kansan deserves the ability to plan their family without being condemned by their elected officials" (Wichita Eagle, 3/21).
Separately, Francisco, who opposed the underlying bill targeting Planned Parenthood, said, "It's really not necessary to have [SB 436]" (Topeka Capital-Journal, 3/21).
