HHS said Friday that applications would be due in May and awarded in September and that any facility threatened with a funding lapse would be able to request new funding. | John Shinkle/POLITICO Trump's family planning grants emphasize abstinence, other conservative priorities

The Trump administration on Friday released a long-awaited application for federal family planning funds that does not explicitly exclude Planned Parenthood but puts a new emphasis on conservative priorities such as abstinence and natural family planning.

Officials said the federal Title X program would provide $260 million to health care providers.


“All eligible organizations including Planned Parenthood are free to apply for this funding,” Valerie Huber, acting deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Population Affairs at HHS, said on a conference call with reporters.

The administration last year said it would reshape the family planning program, prompting concern among abortion rights groups that HHS would make it much harder for Planned Parenthood — which provides services to 41 percent of Title X patients, primarily low-income women — and other abortion providers to obtain funding through the program.

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Title X grantees are forbidden from using the funds for abortion as a form of family planning.

The application stresses natural family planning methods and eliminates the Obama administration's focus on all forms of contraception — changes that trouble Title X grantees.

“The Trump-Pence administration is quietly taking aim at access to birth control under the nation’s program for affordable reproductive health care, which 4 million people rely on each year," said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “This is a clear attempt to roll back access to the type of birth control that most women want to use. The last thing anyone wants is for Donald Trump or Mike Pence to weigh in on her sex life — but this announcement essentially invites them into the bedroom."

"There are no references to contraception and no reference to nationally recognized clinical standards for the provision of high-quality family planning and sexual health care," said Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association.

Huber said Friday that she wants to expand the program’s reach, with a focus on filling geographic gaps where Title X services aren’t available and to expand the population covered by those services. The application also appears to open the door for funding to centers that promote pregnancy or faith-based groups that promote abstinence.

"This is a program that’s important to the administration and we think its really important to make some meaningful changes to extend the coverage of the program," Huber said.

Administration officials said other changes to the program could be forthcoming. And applications aren’t due until May, so it's unclear who will actually get the money.

The announcement stressed the inclusion of natural family planning methods — also known as fertility awareness — among the broad range of services offered by grantees. Applicants also have to ensure their activities promote “positive family relationships for the purpose of increasing family participation in family planning and health decision-making” and emphasize the social science research on “healthy relationships, to committed, safe, stable, healthy marriages and the benefits of avoiding sexual risk or returning to a sexually risk-free status, especially (but not only) when communicating with adolescents.”

For the first time, grantees will also have to ensure staff is annually trained to respond to threats such as child abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking. Similar monitoring and reporting programs will be required. Applications will also be streamlined to allow some grantees operating in several parts of the country to submit one application.

The Trump administration was far behind on the Title X application process. Last year, HHS said that all Title X funding would expire on March 31 and that organizations would have to apply again. HHS said the applications would be out in November, due in January and awarded on April 1.

House Democrats earlier this month warned there was a serious risk of a funding lapse that would hurt clinics’ ability to serve patients.

HHS said Friday that applications would be due in May and awarded in September and that any facility threatened with a funding lapse would be able to request new funding.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the total amount of funding in the grant.