WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has directed 46 states and territories to remove references to “gender ideology” from educational materials funded by the federal Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) within 60 days. The notice warns that noncompliance may lead to withholding, suspension, or termination of PREP funding.
The move follows ACF’s August decision to terminate California’s PREP grant after the state did not meet the department’s demand to purge such content. In letters sent to additional jurisdictions, HHS said those recipients are now formally on notice that similar enforcement actions will follow if they do not comply.
“Accountability is coming,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison. “Federal funds will not be used to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas. The Trump Administration will ensure that PREP reflects the intent of Congress, not the priorities of the left.”
PREP provides grants to support instruction on topics such as abstinence, contraception, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents. HHS said the new directives are intended to align program content with congressional intent and bar material the department characterizes as “gender ideology.”
The letters were sent to 40 states—Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—and to six jurisdictions: Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Washington, D.C.
ACF said the 60-day period begins upon receipt of the letters. States and territories must revise or replace affected content to retain eligibility for federal PREP funds.
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