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Caucus flags bill to fund pregnancy‑and‑parenting grants to crisis pregnancy centers
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Summary
A proposal to create pregnancy-and-parenting grants through DHS that would fund crisis pregnancy centers drew objections in caucus over service scope, past committee procedure and whether state funds should support centers that do not offer full reproductive‑health options.
House Bill 22‑16, described to caucus members by Representative Magali, would establish a pregnancy-and‑parenting grant program administered by the Department of Health Services to fund services for mothers who choose to keep their infants. The bill caps any single grant at 85% of the recipient provider's prior‑year revenue, requires that grants prioritize direct client services and sets audit and reporting requirements for DHS.
Why it matters: The bill would allocate state grant dollars to entities described as pregnancy centers — organizations that, as discussed in caucus, sometimes provide only one set of reproductive‑health options. Several members objected to state funding going to centers that, in their view, do not offer full counseling on all options and in some cases have been accused of providing misleading information.
Members also raised a procedural concern: sponsor and caucus members said the measure ‘‘died’’ in committee but was later revoted due to a timing error, prompting objections about that process. Several members asked that the bill be removed from the consent calendar for fuller floor debate.
Clarifying details provided in caucus included a DHS reporting requirement to the governor and legislative leaders and audit provisions tied to specified points listed on the caucus information sheet. Representative Magali explained that the program limits grant awards so no grant may exceed 85% of a provider's prior‑year revenue and that DHS must report outcomes to the governor, the House speaker and the Senate president.
Ending: Members asked for time to review the proposal and any pending floor amendments before voting. Representative Magali said she had not yet received a floor amendment that might change the bill’s scope.
