Tennessee v. Becerra

Overview

(6th Cir. Court of Appeals, March 10, 2025): The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the federal government against Tennessee in its Title X grant funding challenge. A federal Department of Health & Human Services rule requires Title X grant recipients to provide neutral, nondirective counseling and referrals for abortions to patients who request it, but Tennessee limited counseling after outlawing most abortions in the state. Tennessee subsequently lost its Title X grand funding. The court affirmed the district court’s ruling against Tennessee on the basis that Tennessee could not force funding without meeting the conditional obligations. The Sixth Circuit ruled similarly against Ohio in a Title X funding dispute in 2023. Despite the win, the Trump Administration on April 30, 2025, announced that it would revive all Title X funding to Tennessee. Read the full opinion here.

View all cases in the Judicial Trends in Public Health – May 20, 2025.

View all cases under “Reproductive Liberties and Care Access.”