WASHINGTON, DC – In the wake of the partisan U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and after Republicans have doubled down on efforts to restrict access to birth control, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined a group of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act (S. 4550).  This legislation, led by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), would protect access to critical reproductive health care services like birth control, cancer screenings and more by providing a consistent and strong source of funding for the Title X Family Planning Program.  It would provide $500 million in mandatory federal funding for Title X services for each of the next 10 fiscal years.

The Title X Family Planning Program is the only federal program dedicated to providing comprehensive and confidential family planning and preventive health services.

Thousands of Rhode Islanders rely on the program for essential health care and access to contraception.  In 2020 alone, over 1.5 million patients nationwide received family planning services through Title X.  Title X is funded through the annual appropriations process, which subjects the program to an unpredictable funding stream that is insufficient to meet the national need. The Expanding Access to Family Planning Act would provide a consistent and strong source of funding for Title X.

“At a time when Americans’ reproductive freedoms are under attack from extremist Republicans, the Title X Family Planning Program is more important than ever,” said Senator Smith. “Title X funding provides American women with access to critical reproductive health services. I invite all my Republican colleagues who claim to champion family planning services to join us in supporting this commonsense legislation that will protect women’s access to birth control, pregnancy counseling, basic infertility services, and more.”

“From cancer screenings to preventing sexually transmitted disease to family planning services, Title X helps provide critical care for women in Rhode Island and across the nation.  I will continue working to ensure women have the freedom to make their own health care decisions and have access to affordable birth control and contraceptives, which help protect women and reduce unplanned pregnancies,” said Senator Reed.  “Republican efforts to chip away at access to birth control and cut funding for Title X has left health clinics with limited resources to meet the growing need for contraceptive care.  This bill will protect women’s access to contraception and help ensure every woman, regardless of economic status, can get the contraceptive coverage she needs.”

“In light of the damage wrought by the captured Court’s decision in Dobbs, I’m glad to support this effort to protect women’s health and reproductive freedom,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “Strengthening Title X will ensure that women in Rhode Island and across our country have access to affordable family planning and preventative health care services.”

The Expanding Access to Family Planning Act would:

  • Provide $500 million in mandatory funding for Title X services for each of the next 10 fiscal years.  This is well above the $286 million the program received in FY2022. 
  • Deliver $50 million in mandatory funding for clinic construction, renovation, and related infrastructure enhancements for each of the next 10 fiscal years.
  • Reinstate regulations prohibiting discrimination of providers who deliver Title X services.
  • Require that pregnancy counseling include information about prenatal care and delivery, infant care, foster care, adoption, and pregnancy termination, unless a patient does not have any interest in receiving information about an option. 

In addition to Senators Smith, Reed, and Whitehouse, the legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Angus King (I-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ, Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Mark Warner (D-VA).

The bill is endorsed by: Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Catholics for Choice, the National Partnership for Women & Families, Power to Decide, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Council of Jewish Women, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, ACLU, Advocates for Youth, National Women’s Law Center, and the Center for Reproductive Rights.