Maine Senate gives bipartisan initial approval to Sen. Pierce bill to protect women’s health, fund family planning services

Vote comes as essential statewide services face years of flat State funding, federal funding being withheld by Trump Administration

AUGUSTA — Today, the Maine Senate voted in favor of a proposal from Senate Majority Leader Teresa S. Pierce, D-Falmouth, that would protect access to fundamental health care services offered through Maine’s network of family planning services. LD 143, “An Act to Improve Women’s Health and Economic Security by Funding Family Planning Services,” received initial support in the Senate with a bipartisan 21-13 vote.

“Family planning providers across our state have always been a critical safety net for the most vulnerable Mainers, and these providers are committed to serving them, regardless of ability to pay,” said Sen. Pierce. “Mainers turn to them not just for reproductive health care, but also for a range of primary and behavioral health care, including birth control, cancer screenings, well-person care, vaccinations and testing and treatment of STIs. I thank my colleagues in the Senate for taking a stand to protect Mainers as politicians on the national level — and even some here in Augusta — seek to restrict our rights to bodily autonomy and gut access to basic health care.” 

The Maine Family Planning network serves more than 31,000 patients annually, 70% of whom qualified for free or reduced-cost care in 2023. It also provides care to anyone who needs it, regardless of ability to pay. 

LD 143 would allocate $6.18 million in grant funding over the next biennium to the Department of Health and Human Services to provide management and oversight of the delivery of family planning services. The bill also establishes within the department the Fund to Maintain Access to Statewide Family Planning Services. Funding from LD 143 would not go to abortion care.

In floor debate, senators spoke in favor of defending access to family planning services.

“We all want the people of our state to thrive, especially our kids, grandkids, and generations we don’t know yet,” said Sen. Henry Ingwersen, D-Arundel, in floor remarks. “It’s what brought so many of us to the Legislature in the first place. So, it is our duty and obligation to support all Mainers who rely on family planning providers for essential health care, now and into the future.”

“Growing up, my family had little money and even less access to quality health care. The one exception was the care that our local family planning clinic provided,” said Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jill Duson, D-Portland, in floor remarks. “When I was 17 and visiting Planned Parenthood was still very much taboo, I went to the clinic for regular gynecological services, where they discovered a serious cervical issue. Thankfully, the clinicians were able to get me the care I needed, and I went on to have two lovely children.”

LD 143 faces additional votes in the House and Senate.