NJ Joins Multistate Effort Opposing Cuts to Title X Healthcare Funding

New Jersey and 20 other states warn federal funding withdrawal could harm public health, especially in underserved communities.

MORRISTOWN, NJ — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has joined a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in a letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reverse its decision to withhold tens of millions of dollars in Title X funding, a key federal program supporting family planning and reproductive healthcare for low-income and uninsured individuals.

The letter, addressed to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., follows a March 31 announcement in which the federal agency informed a significant number of grant recipients—serving nearly 25% of the nation’s Title X clinics—that their funding was being cut. In several states, including California, Hawai‘i, and Maine, all Title X funding has already been suspended. New Jersey, which currently benefits from Title X support, faces a possible loss of future funding.

Title X, established in 1970 and signed into law by President Richard Nixon, is the only federal program exclusively focused on providing comprehensive family planning services, particularly for underserved populations. Local clinics supported by Title X frequently offer a wide range of health services including STI screening, contraceptive access, HIV testing, and prenatal care.

“Withholding Title X funding puts at risk the health of low-income individuals across the country. These misguided actions directly harm poor and rural communities, making it even harder for them to access critical healthcare services,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Income should never determine anyone’s access to family planning services, cancer screenings, STI prevention, and other essential health services. Secretary Kennedy and the Trump Administration must reverse this devastating decision immediately.”

In their joint letter, the attorneys general argue that the funding cuts will have immediate and damaging consequences. They warn of rising rates of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and cervical cancer, while also emphasizing the pressure this move will place on already-strained state healthcare systems. The letter notes that in many rural or economically disadvantaged communities, Title X-funded clinics are often the only providers of such essential services.

The coalition referenced the impacts of a similar policy change in 2019, when prior restrictions under the Trump Administration led to the departure of many providers from the Title X network. During that period, patient access dropped by more than 60%, from 3.9 million to 1.5 million nationwide. The attorneys general cite this precedent as evidence of the likely consequences of renewed funding restrictions.

Additionally, the letter challenges HHS’s justification for the cuts, stating that no substantive evidence has been provided to support claims that grantees violated federal civil rights laws.

The states signing the letter alongside New Jersey include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.