Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act

Bill: 118-hr-6918
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Fischbach, Michelle [R-MN-7]
Introduced: 2024-01-09
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Department of Health and Human Services

Health programs administration and funding

Sex and reproductive health

Women's health
Latest action: action_date: 2024-01-22
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-01-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing (with respect to certain pregnancy centers) a provision of a proposed rule modifying the standard for a state's reasonable use of funds under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.</p> <p>The proposed rule provides that if ACF identifies a TANF expenditure that does not appear to reasonably accomplish a purpose of TANF then the state must show that it used the funds in a manner that a reasonable person would consider to be within one of the purposes.</p> <p>The bill prohibits ACF from applying this standard to state expenditures for pregnancy centers that (1) support protecting the life of the mother and the unborn child; and (2) offer resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including but relationship counseling, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes, or material supports.</p> <p>Under current law, TANF funds may be used for any of four purposes, including to prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies. In the supplemental information to the proposed rule, ACF states that TANF expenditures for programs that exclusively or primarily provide pregnancy counseling to women only after they become pregnant have a tenuous or nonexistent connection to this purpose and, therefore, likely do not meet the proposed reasonableness standard.</p>

action_date: 2024-01-16
action_desc: Reported to House
text: <p><b>Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing (with respect to certain pregnancy centers) a provision of a proposed rule modifying the standard for a state's reasonable use of funds under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.</p> <p>The proposed rule provides that if ACF identifies a TANF expenditure that does not appear to reasonably accomplish a purpose of TANF then the state must show that it used the funds in a manner that a reasonable person would consider to be within one of the purposes.</p> <p>The bill prohibits ACF from applying this standard to state expenditures for pregnancy centers that (1) support protecting the life of the mother and the unborn child; and (2) offer resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including but relationship counseling, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes, or material supports.</p> <p>Under current law, TANF funds may be used for any of four purposes, including to prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies. In the supplemental information to the proposed rule, ACF states that TANF expenditures for programs that exclusively or primarily provide pregnancy counseling to women only after they become pregnant have a tenuous or nonexistent connection to this purpose and, therefore, likely do not meet the proposed reasonableness standard.</p>

action_date: 2024-01-18
action_desc: Passed House
text: <p><b>Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing (with respect to certain pregnancy centers) a provision of a proposed rule modifying the standard for a state's reasonable use of funds under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.</p> <p>The proposed rule provides that if ACF identifies a TANF expenditure that does not appear to reasonably accomplish a purpose of TANF then the state must show that it used the funds in a manner that a reasonable person would consider to be within one of the purposes.</p> <p>The bill prohibits ACF from applying this standard to state expenditures for pregnancy centers that (1) support protecting the life of the mother and the unborn child; and (2) offer resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including but relationship counseling, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes, or material supports.</p> <p>Under current law, TANF funds may be used for any of four purposes, including to prevent and reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies. In the supplemental information to the proposed rule, ACF states that TANF expenditures for programs that exclusively or primarily provide pregnancy counseling to women only after they become pregnant have a tenuous or nonexistent connection to this purpose and, therefore, likely do not meet the proposed reasonableness standard.</p>

tv_txt: IIB 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6918 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 22, 2024 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions AN ACT To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restricting funding for pregnancy centers.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act . 2. Prohibition on discrimination against pregnancy centers (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services may not finalize, implement, or enforce, with respect to expenditures for any pregnancy center, the modification to section 263.11 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in the proposed regulation set forth beginning on page 67697 of volume 88 of the Federal Register, or any substantially similar regulatory action. (b) Definition of pregnancy center In subsection (a), the term pregnancy center means any organization, such as a pregnancy resource center, pregnancy help center or organization, or pregnancy medical center, that— (1) supports protecting the life of the mother and the unborn child; and (2) offers resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including but not limited to relationship counseling, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes, or material supports.

Passed the House of Representatives January 18, 2024. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6918 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restricting funding for pregnancy centers.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act . 2. Prohibition on discrimination against pregnancy centers (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services may not finalize, implement, or enforce, with respect to expenditures for any pregnancy center, the modification to section 263.11 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in the proposed regulation set forth beginning on page 67697 of volume 88 of the Federal Register, or any substantially similar regulatory action. (b) Definition of pregnancy center In subsection (a), the term pregnancy center means any organization, such as a pregnancy resource center, pregnancy help center or organization, or pregnancy medical center, that— (1) supports protecting the life of the mother and the unborn child; and (2) offers resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including but not limited to relationship counseling, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes, or material supports.

Passed the House of Representatives January 18, 2024. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk.

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 285 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6918 [Report No. 118–349] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 9, 2024 Mrs. Fischbach (for herself, Ms. Tenney , and Mr. Smith of New Jersey ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means January 16, 2024 Additional sponsors: Ms. Malliotakis , Mr. Reschenthaler , Mr. Crenshaw , Mrs. Miller of West Virginia , Mr. Moore of Utah , Mrs. Miller of Illinois , Mr. Timmons , Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania , Mr. Estes , Mr. Moolenaar , Mr. Aderholt , Mr. Langworthy , Mr. Guest , Mr. Newhouse , Mr. Webster of Florida , Mrs. Miller-Meeks , Mr. Sessions , Mr. Kustoff , Mr. Finstad , Mr. Stauber , and Mrs. Lesko January 16, 2024 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 9, 2024 A BILL To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restricting funding for pregnancy centers.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act . 2. Prohibition on discrimination against pregnancy centers (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services may not finalize, implement, or enforce, with respect to expenditures for any pregnancy center, the modification to section 263.11 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in the proposed regulation set forth beginning on page 67697 of volume 88 of the Federal Register, or any substantially similar regulatory action. (b) Definition of pregnancy center In subsection (a), the term pregnancy center means any organization, such as a pregnancy resource center, pregnancy help center or organization, or pregnancy medical center, that— (1) supports protecting the life of the mother and the unborn child; and (2) offers resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including but not limited to relationship counseling, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes, or material supports.

January 16, 2024 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6918 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 9, 2024 Mrs. Fischbach (for herself, Ms. Tenney , and Mr. Smith of New Jersey ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restricting funding for pregnancy centers.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act . 2. Prohibition on discrimination against pregnancy centers (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services may not finalize, implement, or enforce, with respect to expenditures for any pregnancy center, the modification to section 263.11 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in the proposed regulation set forth at page 67697 of volume 88 of the Federal Register, or any substantially similar regulatory action. (b) Definition of pregnancy center In subsection (a), the term pregnancy center means any organization, such as a pregnancy resource center, pregnancy help center or organization, or pregnancy medical center, that— (1) supports protecting the life of the mother and the unborn child; and (2) offers resources and services to mothers, fathers, and families, including but not limited to relationship counseling, prenatal and pregnancy education, pregnancy testing, diapers, baby clothes, or material supports.