Senate Bill 352 appropriates $2.5 million in recurring General Fund money each year of the 2025-2027 biennium to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health. The funds would be awarded competitively as grants to nonprofit community health centers, which must use the money to purchase and provide long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) to underserved, uninsured, or medically indigent patients.
The bill defines LARCs as FDA-approved contraceptive drugs or devices that provide effective birth control for an extended period without user action, are temporary and removable at the user’s choice, and are prescribed by an authorized health care provider. The act would take effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill would create a new recurring state grant program within DHHS for nonprofit community health centers and direct state funds toward contraceptive access for low-income and uninsured populations. It does not amend existing health statutes directly, but it would add a specific appropriation and programmatic requirement for the purchase and distribution of FDA-approved long-acting reversible contraceptives through eligible clinics.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, the available record suggests a straightforward public-health framing with no documented debate in the supplied context. The bill’s sponsors and title indicate support for expanding access to reproductive health services, particularly for underserved patients.
Contention
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so no specific points of contention are documented in the record supplied here. Potential areas of disagreement, if raised in future debate, would likely center on the use of recurring state funds, the focus on contraceptive services, and whether grant dollars should be limited to nonprofit community health centers serving particular patient populations.