AB 141

This bill eliminates the restriction that the Department of Health Services may

distribute funds appropriated for family planning services, including federal funds

received under Title V of the federal Social Security Act and Title X of the federal

Public Health Service Act, only to public entities and eliminates the restriction that

a recipient of these funds may provide the funds only to entities that meet specific

criteria. This bill also eliminates the term “women's health block grant." Finally, this

bill increases the funding for family planning services during the 2017-19 fiscal

biennium.

Under current law, women's health funds, which include state moneys and

federal funds received under Title V of the federal Social Security Act, are

appropriated to DHS to provide the following services: counseling by trained

personnel regarding family planning; distribution of information relating to family

planning; and referral to licensed nurse practitioners within the scope of their

practice, licensed physicians, or local health departments for consultation,

examination, medical treatment, and prescriptions for the purpose of family

planning. Under current law, DHS may distribute women's health funds only to

public entities. Current law further provides that a public entity that receives

women's health funds may provide the funds to other entities but only if the recipient

does not provide abortion services, make referrals for abortion services, or have an

affiliate that provides abortion services or makes referrals for abortion services. The

state portion of this funding is referred to as the women's health block grant.

Current law requires DHS to apply for grant funds under Title X of the federal

Public Health Service Act and to distribute funds received to public entities and the

Wisconsin Well-Woman Program and, if funds remain, to nonpublic hospitals and

federally qualified health centers. A public entity that receives funds may provide

some or all of those funds to other public or private entities that do not provide

abortion services or have an affiliate that provides abortion services.