NJOHSP Announces 2nd Round of Reproductive Health Security Grant Program 

HAMILTON, NJ­ – The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness will offer eligible New Jersey-licensed reproductive healthcare providers a second round of funding, opening April 3, for the State’s recently unveiled $5 million Reproductive Health Security Grant Program.

Eligible facilities that can demonstrate a high-security risk may apply through NJOHSP for a maximum $100,000 in security-enhancing grant funding through the April 30 closing date.

This initiative is geared toward those reproductive healthcare facilities that may be targeted by violence, property damage, vandalism, harassment or similar illegal activities.

“This latest grant program will better equip healthcare providers with the necessary resources, knowledge and tools to safeguard their facilities, patients and staff,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “Given that cyber attacks remain a high threat and ‘abortion-related extremists’ continue to pose a moderate threat to New Jersey, as outlined in NJOHSP’s 2023 Threat Assessment, this allocation of funding by Governor Murphy is both a timely and a precautionary countermeasure to the current threat environment.”

Largely modeled after the State’s existing nonprofit security grant program, the 2023 Reproductive Health Security Grant Program will provide recipients with funding for:

• Hiring security personnel;
• The purchase and installation of target-hardening equipment;
• Security and emergency preparedness training;
• Emergency planning activities; and
• The procurement of cybersecurity assets

“Preparedness is a key component of our mission areas, and healthcare providers’ access to this grant funding will allow for preventative measures, strategic mitigation tactics and a robust response should an attack – be it cyber or physical – ever occur,” said NJOHSP Acting Deputy Director Michael Geraghty, who also serves as director for the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, a division of NJOHSP. “The safety and security of our state’s residents and visitors is contingent on our ability to work with public- and private-sector organizations through initiatives such as this.”

Eligible applicants, who must complete a site vulnerability assessment or utilize a facility self-assessment tool prior to submission, include reproductive healthcare facilities that offer medical, surgical, counseling or referral services related to the human reproductive system, including but not limited to pregnancy, contraception or the termination of pregnancy services.

The Reproductive Health Security Grant Program was funded in June following Governor Murphy’s enactment of the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision last year.

NJOHSP anticipates an award date in late spring, at which time recipients will have a 24-month period to expend funding.

Interested healthcare providers can view program details and eligibility criteria or submit an application electronically at NJOHSP.gov.

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