HF 25

as introduced - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026) Posted on 02/10/2025 04:12pm

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing a program to provide grants to women's pregnancy
centers and maternity homes; reducing appropriations; appropriating money;
proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 145.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin TITLE.
new text end

new text begin This act shall be known as the "Supporting Women Act."
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [145.909] GRANT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN'S PREGNANCY CENTERS
AND MATERNITY HOMES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Maternity home" means a community-based, supervised group housing setting that
provides housing, information, referrals, and support to:
new text end

new text begin (1) women who:
new text end

new text begin (i) are pregnant or recently gave birth; and
new text end

new text begin (ii) are in crisis, are homeless, or are at risk of homelessness; and
new text end

new text begin (2) the children of women who meet the criteria in clause (1).
new text end

new text begin (d) "Women's pregnancy center" means an organization that provides information,
referrals, and support to encourage and assist pregnant women in carrying their pregnancies
to term and in caring for their children after birth.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Grant program established. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall administer a program
to provide grants to maternity homes and women's pregnancy centers to fund housing,
services, and assistance to help pregnant women in carrying their pregnancies to term and
in caring for their children after birth.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligibility for grants. new text end

new text begin (a) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a women's
pregnancy center or maternity home must:
new text end

new text begin (1) be a nonprofit organization;
new text end

new text begin (2) offer programs and services, or referrals for programs and services, to pregnant
women and women who recently gave birth to support, encourage, and assist them in carrying
their pregnancies to term and in caring for their children after birth;
new text end

new text begin (3) provide programs or services free of charge or at reduced cost, except that any housing
provided must be provided free of charge; and
new text end

new text begin (4) not use any grant funds to:
new text end

new text begin (i) encourage or counsel women to have an abortion that is not necessary to prevent the
woman's death;
new text end

new text begin (ii) provide abortions; or
new text end

new text begin (iii) directly refer women to an abortion provider for an abortion.
new text end

new text begin (b) An organization is not eligible for a grant under this section if the organization:
new text end

new text begin (1) provides abortions, promotes abortions, or directly refers women to an abortion
provider for an abortion; or
new text end

new text begin (2) is an affiliate of an organization that engages in any of the acts in clause (1), unless
the two organizations are separately incorporated and independent of each other.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Uses of grant funds. new text end

new text begin (a) A women's pregnancy center receiving a grant under
this section must use the grant funds for programs and services to support, encourage, and
assist pregnant women in carrying their pregnancies to term and in caring for their children
after birth.
new text end

new text begin (b) A maternity home receiving a grant under this section must use the grant funds for
housing, supervision, and programs and services to support, encourage, and assist pregnant
women in carrying their pregnancies to term and in caring for their children after birth.
new text end

new text begin (c) A women's pregnancy center or maternity home may provide programs and services
directly or may refer women to other organizations for programs and services. Programs
and services to support, encourage, and assist pregnant women and women who recently
gave birth may address medical care, information about the developmental characteristics
of babies and unborn children, nutrition services, mental health care and treatment, substance
use disorder treatment, housing assistance, adoption services, education and employment
assistance, financial literacy, communication skills, child care assistance, and parenting
education and support services.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Privacy protections. new text end

new text begin (a) Except as provided in paragraph (c), a women's
pregnancy center or maternity home receiving a grant under this section must have a privacy
policy and procedures in place to ensure that the following information is not made public
or shared with any other agency or organization without the woman's written consent:
new text end

new text begin (1) the woman's name, address, or telephone number, or other information that might
identify a woman seeking or receiving services from the women's pregnancy center or
maternity home; or
new text end

new text begin (2) communications between the women's pregnancy center or maternity home and a
woman seeking or receiving services from the women's pregnancy center or maternity home.
new text end

new text begin (b) For purposes of any medical care provided by the women's pregnancy center or
maternity home, including but not limited to pregnancy tests or ultrasonic scanning, the
women's pregnancy center or maternity home must comply with the requirements in sections
144.291 to 144.298 that apply to providers before releasing any information relating to the
medical care provided.
new text end

new text begin (c) A women's pregnancy center or maternity home receiving a grant under this section
must provide the commissioner with information requested by the commissioner for purposes
of subdivision 6.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Monitoring and review. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must:
new text end

new text begin (1) collect from grant recipients information necessary to evaluate and administer the
grant program; and
new text end

new text begin (2) monitor and review each grant recipient's program to ensure compliance with this
section.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin REDUCTIONS IN APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin The general fund appropriations for the sexual and reproductive health services grants
program under Minnesota Statutes, section 145.925, are reduced by $4,000,000 in fiscal
year 2026 and $4,000,000 in fiscal year 2027.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin $4,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $4,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of health for a grant program for women's pregnancy
centers and maternity homes under Minnesota Statutes, section 145.909. Of these
appropriations:
new text end

new text begin (1) $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 are for grants to
women's pregnancy centers and administration of those grants; and
new text end

new text begin (2) $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2027 are for grants to
maternity homes and administration of those grants.
new text end