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Public Health warns against cuts to family planning, tobacco prevention and lab programs; raises concerns about vaccine schedule changes
Summary
The Division of Public Health Services told the Senate Finance Committee the House budget and related language risk ending Title X family-planning contracts, dissolving the tobacco-prevention program if federal grants end, and potentially removing rulemaking authority from the commissioner for school and childcare vaccine requirements.
Ian Watt, director of the Division of Public Health Services, and his bureau leaders told senators the division is highly dependent on federal and other funds (more than 80% of its budget), and that proposed House actions could eliminate or reduce several long-standing public-health services.
Watt and associate staff stressed three immediate concerns in the House budget and companion provisions: (1) elimination of state and federal funding for Title X family-planning contracts — the division currently funds four contractors at seven sites; officials said the total contract amount for the extension period (Jan 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) is about $1.4 million and roughly one-third of that came from general…
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