Emergency Reproductive Health Care Grant applications available

BLOOMINGTON – On August 5, 2022, the Indiana General Assembly and Governor Holcomb enacted Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), which came into effect on September 15. This law bans nearly all abortions in the state and requires any abortions allowed under the law’s very narrow exceptions to be performed in hospitals or ambulatory outpatient surgical centers that are hospital-owned, rather than in the clinics in which the vast majority of abortions have been safely performed in the state for decades.

In order to mitigate the negative impact SB 1 has on the reproductive health of Bloomington residents, $100,000 in grant funds have been made available in 2022, to support emergency services needed to help persons able to give birth to maintain some more personal control and bodily autonomy over their reproductive health and processes.

Mayor John Hamilton

“On behalf of the City of Bloomington, I am unable to sit by and watch local Hoosiers capable of becoming pregnant stripped of their rights and autonomy as residents of our community,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “These grants are one way that we together can fight for and support rights and equality for all Hoosiers.”   

The grants are available to non-profit community organizations offering lawful assistance to residents of Bloomington experiencing negative impacts from SB 1. This funding may be used for services needed to meet the health emergency imposed by SB 1, including but not limited to: transportation; counseling services, post-op exams, medication, and emergency contraception. Grant funds may not be used contrary to valid local, state, or federal law.

In September, one week after the ban went into effect, a case filed by the ACLU on behalf of healthcare providers and a pregnancy resource center resulted in an Indiana circuit court temporarily blocking the SB 1 abortion ban. The Indiana Attorney General immediately filed an appeal and the state plans to pursue suspending this ruling, with the intention of advancing the issue to the Indiana Supreme Court. Indiana lawmakers have made it very clear that their goal is to ban abortion in the state. Reproductive rights and access to critical care in Indiana are neither certain nor secure. 

Due to the fragility of these rights, the City plans to continue this support with a similar program in 2023 and is grateful to the City Council for their unanimous support of reproductive health care and bodily autonomy by means of special appropriation in 2022 and budget approval for 2023. 

The deadline to apply for a 2022 Emergency Reproductive Health Grant is Friday, November 11 at 5 p.m. A five-member panel will evaluate applications with a target date of Tuesday, November 22, 2022, for awards to be announced.

Applications are available at https://bton.in/qb01e. Paper applications are available by contacting the Community and Family Resources Department at 812.349.3430. For additional information or questions contact Community and Family Resources Director, Beverly Calender-Anderson at andersb@bloomington.in.gov