What's happening
This bill creates a state fund to replace lost federal funding for family planning services, including Planned Parenthood, in New York.
Why it matters
Ensures Continuity of Family Planning Services. By mandating state grants to replace lost federal funds, the bill aims to prevent interruptions in access to contraception, cancer screenings, STI testing, and other essential health services, which disproportionately affect low-income and underserved populations.
Establishes a Dedicated, Protected Fund. The creation of a "family planning services contingency fund" means money for these services is set aside and cannot be diverted for other purposes, providing stability and predictability for providers facing uncertain federal support.
Targets Funding to Impacted Providers. Only providers certified as having lost federal funds—such as Planned Parenthood and similar organizations—are eligible, ensuring resources go directly to those affected by federal policy changes or funding cuts.
Rapid Response Mechanism. The bill gives the Health Commissioner authority to issue rules and distribute funds quickly in response to federal funding changes, allowing the state to act swiftly to maintain services without bureaucratic delays.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Family Planning Funding
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to finance
- Referred to finance
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1053
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2019
Introduced by Sen. PERSAUD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to amend the public health law and the state finance law, in relation to the provision of family planning services; and making an appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Article 25 of the public health law is amended by adding a new title 7 to read as follows:
TITLE 7
FUNDING OF FAMILY PLANNING
SERVICES Section 2595. Funding of family planning services; reduction or elimi-
nation of federal funds.
§ 2595. Funding of family planning services; reduction or elimination of federal funds. 1. The commissioner, in the event of the reduction or elimination of federal financial participation through the medical assistance program, federal Title X funds or other federal funds related to the provision of family planning services, shall provide grants to providers of family planning services in the state including, but not limited to, Planned Parenthood facilities. Such grants shall be awarded upon application submitted and approved by the commissioner in the amount equal to the federal funding for family planning services of which the applicant was deprived as the result of such reduction or elimination. Grants shall only be provided pursuant to this section to applicants which have been certified by the director of the budget to have lost federal funding for family planning services.
2. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations as he or she shall deem necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
§ 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 85 to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00865-01-9
S. 1053 2
§ 85. Family planning services contingency fund. 1. There is hereby established in the custody of the state comptroller a special fund to be known as the "family planning services contingency fund".
2. The family planning services contingency fund shall consist of all monies appropriated or transferred to such fund pursuant to law, all monies required by any other provision of law to be paid into or credited to the fund, and any interest earnings which may accrue from the investment of monies in the fund.
3. Monies of the fund, when allocated, shall be made available to the department of health for the funding of family planning services in accordance with title seven of article twenty-five of the public health law.
4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner of health.
§ 3. The sum of thirty-five million dollars ($35,000,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of audit and control from any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the local assistance account not otherwise appropriated to the department of health for family planning services shall be credited to and deposited in the family planning services contingency fund established by section 85 of the state finance law, as added by section two of this act. No expenditure shall be made from this appropriation until a certificate of approval of availability shall have been issued by the director of the budget and filed with the state comptroller and a copy filed with the chairman of the senate finance committee and the chairman of the assembly ways and means committee. Such certificate may be amended from time to time by the director of the budget and a copy of each such amendment shall be filed with the state comptroller, the chairman of the senate finance committee and the chairman of the assembly ways and means committee.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law and the state finance law, in relation to the provision of family planning services; and making an appropriation therefor
Purpose or general idea of bill
Establishes a contingency fund to reimburse providers for family plan- ning services in case of the elimination or reduction of federal funding for family planning services.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 of the bill creates a new title in the Public Health Law enti- tled Funding of Family Planning Services. This new title authorizes the Commissioner of Health to provide grants to providers of family planning services in an amount equal to the loss of federal funding for family planning services. The Commissioner of Health would approve applications for funding from qualified organizations.
Section 2 amends the state finance law to create a family planning services contingency fund managed by the State Comptroller.
Section 3 authorizes the appropriation of $35 million to the family planning services contingency fund.
Justification
Family Planning providers in New York State get their funding from a mixture of federal, state and local funding streams. These providers provide services such as contraception, screening, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as fertility services, pregnancy care, and cancer screenings.
While New York State has been a leader in ensuring affordable access to reproductive and family planning services, funding on the federal level for these important services has never been in greater jeopardy. Recent- ly, President Trump signed legislation that would allow states to begin the process of withholding federal Title X family planning funding from family planning service providers. President Trump and the Republican leaders in Congress have stated that defunding Planned Parenthood is one of their top priorities. It has been estimated that these cuts could result in a loss of up to $35 million in federal funding for family planning services in New York State.
This bill will ensure that family planning providers will be able to continue to provide these important health services, regardless of what happens on the federal level. The contingency fund created by this bill will fully reimburse these providers for these critical services if federal funding is reduced or eliminated.
Prior legislative history
2017/2018: S5683 REFERRED TO SENATE FINANCE CMTE
Fiscal implications
$35 million.
Effective date
60 days after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.