Governor Murphy Announces Over $22 Million in Funding to Protect and Grow Reproductive Health Care Access

Against Anti-Choice Extremism by the Trump Administration, New Jersey Stands for Reproductive Freedom

​TRENTON - Governor Phil Murphy today announced the allocation of $22.325 million through the Reproductive Health Access Fund (RHAF) to protect and expand reproductive health care services across New Jersey. Part of a broader strategy to counter escalating threats by the Trump Administration to reproductive rights, the funding will support family planning providers, grow the reproductive health workforce, and safeguard essential medications.

"Since the onset of my Administration, we have made it a priority to not only empower choice in the reproductive decision-making process, but also to strengthen our reproductive health care delivery system. Through strategic investments and targeted initiatives, we are working to provide safety-net family planning services, upgrade facilities, and grow the reproductive health care workforce," said Governor Murphy. "While states across the nation move to restrict access to reproductive health care services and changing federal policies by the Trump Administration jeopardize the accessibility and affordability of health care access, New Jersey is determined to navigate emerging challenges to continue the positive momentum we have built over the past eight years."

For Fiscal Year 2026, the Murphy Administration is strategically using the Reproductive Health Access Fund to ensure direct care continues to be delivered to vulnerable populations, grow the reproductive health care workforce, and invest in the State's reproductive health care infrastructure to serve more patients. This includes:

• $8 million in support to reproductive health care providers targeted by the federal government to subsidize care for low-income patients;
• $5.5 million to enable physical and technological facility upgrades at family planning clinics;
• $1 million to make security improvements at reproductive health facilities;
• $3 million through the Primary Care Practitioners Loan Redemption Program, with priority given to providers offering reproductive health services in historically medically underserved communities;
• $2 million to continue expanding clinical training programs in partnership with Rutgers University to upskill and train health care professionals;
• $1 million to fund recruitment incentives to attract specialized out-of-state providers, building on a Choose NJ campaign this spring;
• $650,000 to support outreach and public education efforts to help patients navigate care;
• $500,000 will be dispersed through direct care partners to continue assembling strategic stockpiles of medications and related supplies to supplement the over six-month supply of mifepristone on hand in the event of federal or judicial disruptions; and
• The remainder ($675,000 of Fiscal Year 2026 funds) will be held in contingency to allow rapid response to emerging threats.

"This funding is about one thing: Making sure New Jerseyans can still see their doctor and get the care they need," said Acting Health Commissioner Jeff Brown. "Left unchecked, drastic federal cuts to essential health care providers will strip away access to wellness exams, STI testing, contraception access, and breast and cervical screenings from everyday New Jerseyans. The Reproductive Health Access Fund protects essential care that keeps people healthy."

"A robust supply of trained health care professionals throughout New Jersey is critical to ensuring residents can obtain the reproductive health services they need," said New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) Executive Director Margo Chaly, Esq. "By offering student loan redemption to providers in exchange for serving medically underserved communities, our State is working to provide equitable access to reproductive health care for all New Jerseyans. The HESAA team will continue to support statewide efforts to bolster key workforces on behalf of those who call our state home."

"Under Governor Murphy's leadership, New Jersey continues to set a standard for reproductive health care across our nation," said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. "As other states continue to impose draconian penalties on patients and health care professionals who seek or provide abortion care, our state is taking meaningful action to facilitate unobstructed access to vital reproductive services for all."

"Protecting access to care also means protecting the professionals and places that make that care possible," said New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Director Laurie Doran. "As part of this investment through the Reproductive Health Access Fund, facilities will be better positioned to strengthen their security posture, reduce vulnerabilities, and enhance readiness for a range of potential threats. This support helps create a safer environment for patients and staff and reinforces the continuity of essential services across New Jersey."

"The New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority (NJHCFFA) fully supports the initiatives this funding will provide, such as improving maternal, child, and reproductive health care," said New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority (NJHCFFA) Executive Director Frank Troy. "It is completely in line with our mission, which is to ensure that all health care organizations have access to financial resources to improve the health and welfare of the State's citizens."

"We applaud the ongoing support and unwavering commitment of Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature for continuing to prioritize funding that safeguards and advances reproductive rights across our state. At a time when access to reproductive healthcare is being dismantled in many states, New Jersey continues to lead the way by prioritizing accessibility, equity, and personal autonomy for all," said Jenifer Groves, President & CEO, New Jersey Family Planning League. "We commend the Murphy Administration for ensuring that all New Jerseyans have access to safe and effective reproductive healthcare services and supplies. We look forward to continuing our partnership with legislative leaders and advocates to protect and expand access to reproductive healthcare for everyone in New Jersey."

"On behalf of the two Planned Parenthood affiliates, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey and Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey, we want to thank Governor Murphy once again for his leadership on protecting reproductive health care and the State Legislature for appropriating these funds," said Kaitlyn Wojtowicz, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. "As the Trump Administration and the Federal Government continue their attacks on sexual and reproductive health care providers and patients, we are proud to be in a state that stands up for everyone's right to access lifesaving, essential reproductive health care services, no matter what."

Continuing the Murphy Administration's Commitment to Reproductive Freedom

The RHAF allocation advances the Murphy Administration's comprehensive strategy to protect and expand access to reproductive health care. Among the first acts of Governor Murphy upon taking office in 2018 was to restore state family planning funding that had been annually eliminated by the prior administration. Since then, the Murphy Administration has taken significant legislative, regulatory, funding, and legal actions to uplift reproductive freedom. Notably, in January 2022, before the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision in June 2022, Governor Murphy signed the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, codifying the right to reproductive choice in state law.

The Murphy Administration has made reproductive health care more affordable through strategies like insurance coverage requirements and convenient access to contraceptives in pharmacies. Alongside enacting protections for providers and patients for care administered in New Jersey, the State has expanded scopes of practice, trained providers, and invested in security and physical infrastructure for care delivery.

Since 2018, the Murphy Administration has invested $268 million in family planning services and reproductive health programs. The RHAF was created through the Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Act to enable the State of New Jersey to nimbly address threats to reproductive freedom and continue expanding access to services. This fund supplements annual dedicated funding for the State family planning program, as well as investments in state-based insurance coverage.

Administered through the New Jersey Family Planning League, the State family planning program serves about 153,000 individuals across every county each year. These 17 clinics with over 60 service sites deliver person-centered family planning services, including contraception management, STI screening, and comprehensive reproductive health care.

Addressing Evolving Threats to Reproductive Health Care Access

Through these Fiscal Year 2026 investments, New Jersey will remain a safe haven for reproductive freedom. The Murphy Administration prioritized the largest portion of the RHAF - $8 million - to support continuation of safety-net care for uninsured and underinsured patients delivered by reproductive health care providers who are targeted by recent federal policy changes.

Most notably, President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act aims to block Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide from receiving payment from Medicaid for health care services that they provide, including routine and preventive care, health screenings, contraceptives, and family planning services. In New Jersey, roughly 44,000 Medicaid members receive their reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood health centers operated by Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey.

The State of New Jersey is participating in ongoing litigation, monitoring potential changes to federal funding, and preparing for proposed federal regulatory changes impacting access and affordability of reproductive health care services. New Jersey has joined multistate coalitions to defend reproductive rights at the federal level and against extremists, and to protect access to evidence-based reproductive health care, including mifepristone and Title X services. New Jersey's family planning network currently receives $8.55 million annually through the federal Title X program, which covers contraception, STI testing, life-saving cancer screenings, and other health care for uninsured and underinsured individuals. President Trump's proposed budget eliminates Title X funding, which could result in significant disruptions to care, reduced access to contraceptives, and preventive care services. The federal Department of Health and Human Services is considering federal rule changes that could restrict or eliminate access to 340b drug pricing that provides discounted medications to safety-net clinics.

To learn more about the Murphy Administration's commitment to reproductive freedom as well as to find quality and affordable services, visit New Jersey's Reproductive Health Information Hub.

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