TRENTON, NJ – Today, the New Jersey Assembly passed A5802, a bill that will provide for $9.5 million in state funding to providers like Planned Parenthood who were forced out of federal Title X family planning program due to the medically unethical gag rule. The Senate is expected to take up the companion bill, S4103, in December.

“We thank the Assembly for taking action to protect New Jersey patients who have been impacted by the Trump-Pence gag rule,” said Kaitlyn Wojtowicz, Vice President of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. “We call on the Senate to move swiftly to pass S4103; the health of tens of thousands of New Jerseyans hangs in the balance.”

If passed and signed into law, S4103/A5802 will provide funding for providers such as Planned Parenthood so they can continue to provide lifesaving reproductive health services to New Jerseyans. Planned Parenthood was forced out of participating in Title X, the nation’s only federal program for affordable birth control and family planning services, due to the Trump-Pence administration’s medically unethical gag rule, which prevents health care providers from giving their patients full information about their reproductive health options. The medically unethical gag rule is specifically intended to deny people care at Planned Parenthood health centers. In New Jersey, Planned Parenthood provides care to 70 percent of Title X patients in the state.

S4103/A5802 will protect patients in New Jersey by providing $9.5 million to in emergency funding to providers who were forced out of the Title X program. Without this state support, providers like Planned Parenthood cannot continue to offer the same level of services. Planned Parenthood currently is operating on emergency funds. However, the organization cannot continue to do so indefinitely.

“We cannot allow even one New Jerseyan to be denied care because of the Trump-Pence gag rule,” said Wojtowicz. “Patients must be able to continue to access the reproductive health care services they need and deserve. That is why we thank the Assembly for their support of A5802, and now we call on the Senate to vote yes on S4103.”

In states like Ohio, Planned Parenthood providers have already been forced to close health centers due to the loss of Title X funding. New Jersey also has felt the sting of cuts to family planning providers, in the past; when funding was eliminated from the state budget during the previous gubernatorial administration, STD rates skyrocketed in the state as health centers cut hours, staff, and services, or closed their doors altogether.

“It is vitally important that the New Jersey Senate follow the Assembly’s lead by supporting this funding as soon as possible to keep services available to patients and to keep our doors open,” said Wojtowicz. “We cannot let the Trump-Pence administration to continue to play politics with New Jerseyans’ health.”