The New Jersey Assembly on Monday passed two bills that would restore funding to family planning clinics and expand eligibility for Medicaidcoverage of family planning services, the Asbury Park Press reports. The bills now go to the Senate for consideration in early December.The bills passed along party lines, but neither received the 54 votes needed to override a possible veto by Gov. Chris Christie (R). In June, Christie vetoed similar legislation that would have reversed state budget cuts to family planning clinics, and the Senate failed to override the measure on a party-line vote.
One of the bills (A 3274) would transfer $5 million in reserve funding to state family planning clinics. The measure passed 45-25 with nine abstentions. The bill would prohibit the money from being used to pay for abortion services. Republican critics of the measure argue that the funds would allow family planning clinics that provide abortions to use other sources of revenue for the procedure.
The other bill (A 3273), which passed 44-25 with 10 abstentions, would require New Jersey to apply to the federal government to expand Medicaid coverage for family planning services to people with incomes between 133% and 200% of the federal poverty level, as allowed under the federal health reform law (PL 111-148). Twenty-seven states already have secured federal permission for such expansions. If approved, New Jersey would receive more than $15 million in federal funds over two years by spending $1.1 million in state funds (Symons, Asbury Park Press, 11/22).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of theNational Partnership for Women & Families.
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