Tennessee Appeals Court Denies Title X Funding

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against Tennessee's bid to restore $7 million in Title X family planning funding while the state challenges federal rules requiring abortion counseling. The court upheld a lower court's decision, stating that Tennessee cannot dictate eligibility requirements for federal grants based on its abortion laws. This decision follows Tennessee's refusal to provide information about abortion to patients, as mandated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), resulting in the loss of funding. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti had argued that the HHS rules infringed on state sovereignty, but the court disagreed. The ruling emphasizes that Tennessee had the option to reject the funding rather than comply with federal requirements. As it stands, the state will not receive Title X funds during the ongoing legal dispute.