Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill into law Friday that dedicates $8 million in funding for women’s healthcare programs in the Commonwealth. The select programs are slated to lose federal Title X funding under new, more conservative guidelines announced by the Trump administration in February.
The bill, which passed in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate with overwhelming support last week, was declared emergency legislation and will go into effect immediately rather than wait the standard 90 days to become law, according to The Boston Globe.
The money will fund Title X programs that provide family planning and sexual healthcare services, such as birth control, cancer screenings and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, to low-income families in the state.
Baker said in a state press release the bill was important because it ensured women and families across Massachusetts would still be able to receive necessary healthcare from these services.
“Signing this bill into law ensures women’s health providers across Massachusetts will continue to have access to these critical funds,” Baker said. “We are proud that Massachusetts remains a national leader in women’s health care, and we thank our colleagues in the Legislature for their swift response to changes in federal policy.”
Massachusetts Sen. Brendan Crighton, a Democrat from Lynn, said he voted in favor of the bill because President Trump’s decision to defund certain family planning programs could seriously hurt residents living in the Commonwealth.
“Over 80,000 Massachusetts families use these types of services,” Crighton said. “So it could be contraceptives, screening for cancer and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as specialized family care, and it’s unfortunate that [Trump’s] political decision could really harm real lives.”
Crighton said it is important for the Legislature to actively oppose some of Trump’s more dangerous decisions, especially when the president attacks programs related to Title X services.
“President Trump and his administration have really gone on the offensive against women’s health and family planning and reproductive services,” Crighton said, “and as we’ve done with other legislation, we will fight back against some of these horrible policies at the state level.”
Trump’s new guidelines would bar Planned Parenthood and other women’s healthcare providers that provide abortions, or refer patients to abortion clinics, from receiving these federal funds, according to the Globe.
Crighton said lawmakers from both political parties on Beacon Hill recognized the importance of providing funding to women’s healthcare and family planning services.
“When it comes to funding these types of services, it means stepping up,” he said. “I think everybody, whether you’re Republican or Democrat, wants to make sure that health services are accessible for those that need them — low-income families or uninsured people who may not have access to it otherwise.”
Katherine Osborn, 24, of Brighton, said she thinks family planning programs are important for residents of Massachusetts and the state has a good reputation when it comes to public health.
“I think Massachusetts is really good with our healthcare and how we fund it and what we provide, so I don’t actually expect anything less from Mass. than to offer [funding] when the federal government is not,” Osborn said.
Brighton resident Jessica Elinburg, 26, said she thinks defunding programs such as Planned Parenthood could have dangerous outcomes for many residents.
“When we don’t fund Planned Parenthood, we’re cutting access to health from women of all income levels and ages,” Elinburg said. “It’s important that it continues to be funded no matter what Donald Trump thinks.”
Carly Margolis, 23, of Brighton, said it is important for all people to have access to the services made available by organizations such as Planned Parenthood, as these family planning programs provide a wide range of healthcare options to residents.
“I think that folks need healthcare, it really should be a basic human right, and reproductive rights fall into that for me,” Margolis said. “Honestly, the majority of what Planned Parenthood does is basic exams. I am pro-choice, but what a lot of folks don’t realize is that access to birth control and physical exams are provided by Planned Parenthood.”
