When the Trump Administration ended Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants two years early, many grantees filed lawsuits. Last week, a federal judge ruled that the Administration unlawfully terminated the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (the fourth such decision in recent weeks). In this case, the court ordered the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to process King County’s application within 60 days and may not deny funding unless it can demonstrate good cause or that the County failed to comply with grant terms. Public Health Seattle & King County is using the funding to replicate and research the county-wide FLASH sex education curriculum. The model has contributed to King County having one of the lowest teen birth rates in the nation (2.5 times lower than the national rate).

In other family planning news, Governor Inslee joined 13 other Democratic Governors on a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar requesting reconsideration of the Title X “gag rule” proposed changes. And the Supreme Court refused to weigh in directly on the case of a young immigrant seeking an abortion – ruling the appeal was moot because the abortion had taken place already. Immigrant rights and abortion access will continue to be an issue under the Trump Administration.