S. 2206Senate109th Congress (2005-2007)In Committee

Title X Family Planning Act

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

2 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

January 27, 2006

View full timeline

SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 27, 2006

SenateIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S250)

January 27, 2006

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

January 27, 2006

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 2206 on the floor

1 Republican

Sen. David VitterR-LA · Jan 27, 2006

Mr. President, I would like to offer my comments in support of The Title X Family Planning Act, which I introduced today. I am very pleased to have Senator Santorum and Senator DeMint join me as…

Mr. President, I would like to offer my comments in support of The Title X Family Planning Act, which I introduced today. I am very pleased to have Senator Santorum and Senator DeMint join me as original co-sponsors of this very important legislation. The Title X Family Planning Act prohibits the distribution of taxpayer dollars, through Title X family planning funds, to those that provide abortions. I believe that this important legislation is very timely, because this week thousands of pro-life advocates gathered in our Nation's capital for the March for Life, some of which came all the way from my home State of Louisiana.

In 1970, Congress enacted Title X of the Public Health Service Act, which is a program designed to make contraceptive supplies and family planning services available to those unable to afford them without government assistance. Originally, family planning services were not allowed to include abortions, and currently, Federal dollars cannot directly fund abortions.

Current law prohibits the use of Title X family planning funds ``in programs where abortion is a method of family planning''; and current regulations require some form of separation between federally-funded family planning services and abortions. 42 U.S.C. 300a-6 (1970). However, the current regulations do not contain a descriptive standard of what constitutes ``separation.'' 42 CFR part 59 (2000). It only requires that these activities be separated by something more than mere bookkeeping.

This level of separation--separation of accounting records and separation of facilities within the same building--is not enough. When Title X money goes to clinics that perform abortions, even though the money cannot directly fund abortions it is being used to indirectly facilitate abortions. For example, abortion providers are using Title X funding to offset operational costs, which, therefore, frees them to use monies that would otherwise be allocated to operational costs, towards funding abortion.

The Title X Family Planning Act would restore the original intent of Title X by prohibiting the distribution of Title X family planning money to grantees that perform abortions and to grantees whose subgrantees perform abortions, unless a physician certifies that the abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. The bill specifically exempts hospitals. In order to ensure that grantees who provide abortions do not obtain funding, the bill also requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to give to Congress a list of grantees that provided abortions in the preceding fiscal year. Grantees that appear on the list would not be eligible to receive Title X family planning funds, unless the grantee submits a certification to the Secretary of Health and Human Services that neither the grantee nor its subgrantees perform abortions.

The rationale behind this prohibition is simple: when abortion is so divisive an issue, when so many Americans have grave moral reservations about it, why should we sustain and underwrite private abortion providers with taxpayer funds?

The Title X Family Planning Act denies no one family planning services. In every locality where a private abortion provider is receiving Title X funds, there are alternative sources for family planning services, inducing both public agencies and private agencies that do not offer abortions.

The Title X Family Planning Act does not cut one penny from family planning funds. It only ensures that those funds are used for actual family planning services.

The Title X Family Planning Act does not infringe upon the right to free speech. In fact, it does not contain language regarding counseling, advocacy, information or expression.

The Title X Family Planning Act does prevent our Federal tax dollars from going to abortion providers. It will save the lives of millions of unborn children. I ask my colleagues to join Senator Santorum, Senator DeMint, and myself in supporting this bill, because the U.S Government should not force taxpayers, many of whom are anti-abortion, to fund abortion.

Sen. David VitterR-LA · Jan 27, 2006

Mr. President, I would like to offer my comments in support of The Title X Family Planning Act, which I introduced today. I am very pleased to have Senator Santorum and Senator DeMint join me as…

The Title X Family Planning Act does not cut one penny from family planning funds. It only ensures that those funds are used for actual family planning services.

The Title X Family Planning Act does not infringe upon the right to free speech. In fact, it does not contain language regarding counseling, advocacy, information or expression.

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in SenateIssued January 27, 2006

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 2206

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 27, 2006

Mr. Vitter (for himself, Mr. Santorum, and Mr. DeMint) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Title X Family Planning Act.

Amendment to the Public Health Service Act

Section 1008 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300a–6) is amended to read as follows:

1008.

Prohibition on abortion

(a)

In general

None of the funds appropriated under this title shall be distributed to grantees who perform abortions or whose subgrantees perform abortions, except where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. The preceding sentence shall not apply to a grantee or subgrantee that is a hospital, so long as such hospital does not subgrant to a non-hospital entity that performs abortions.

(b)

List

Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of the Title X Family Planning Act, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a list of grantees, to which subsection (a) applies, under this title for the fiscal year involved that perform abortions regardless of how such abortions are funded.

(c)

Limitations on eligibility

(1)

Grantees on list

A grantee who appears on the list submitted under subsection (b) for a fiscal year shall not be eligible to receive assistance under this title for subsequent fiscal years unless the grantee submits to the Secretary a certification that such grantee, and the subgrantees of such grantee, no longer perform abortions.

(2)

Applications for assistance

To be eligible to receive assistance under this title, a grantee to which subsection (a) applies shall submit to the Secretary a certification that such grantee, and the subgrantees of such grantee, do not perform abortions other than those abortions explicitly permitted under subsection (a).

(d)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Grantee

The term grantee means the organizational entity or individual to which a grant, under this title is awarded and which is responsible and accountable both for the use of the funds provided under the grant and for the performance of the grant-supported project or activities. A grantee is the entire legal entity even if only a particular component is designated in the award document.

(2)

Hospital

The term hospital has the meaning given that term in section 1861(e) of the Social Security Act.

(3)

Subgrantee

The term subgrantee means the government or other legal entity to which a subgrant is awarded under this title and which is accountable to the grantee for the use of the funds provided under the subgrant.