The City of San Antonio is preparing to open up the bidding process for service providers to tap into a $500,000 pot earmarked for broadening reproductive health care access. This fund, known as the Reproductive Justice Fund, is primarily intended for services such as economic stability support, contraceptives, and sex education for youth, though it has stirred controversy due to the inclusion of travel for out-of-state abortions, San Antonio Report reports. A significant proportion of the council members showed favor for the fund's outline, although travel funding for out-of-state abortions has proven contentious among some representatives.
According to the city's medical director, Junda Woo, while the request for proposals is set to be released next Monday, the allocation of the budget will ultimately be decided by the City Council after considering the proposals. During a discussion with council members, Woo pointed out, “People may bid on some of these, none of these, all of these — they may have different ideas,” With nearly half the fund at $200,000 reserved for direct services, including emergency contraception and STI test kits, and only $50,000 for tackling root issues like housing and food security, the fund allocation is designed to address both the immediate and underlying contributors to reproductive health challenges.
Despite the support for the fund, some council members expressed their opposition to the use of public dollars for abortions-related travel. Specifically, Councilmen Marc Whyte, John Courage, and Manny Pelaez stated their unwillingness to back contracts that would cover out-of-state abortion travel costs. The city has faced legal pushback on the Reproductive Justice Fund, with several anti-abortion groups mounting a legal challenge. A judge dismissed the lawsuit in April, but the plaintiffs have declared their intention to appeal, San Antonio Report learned from Patrick Von Dohlen of the San Antonio Family Association.
Councilwoman Teri Castillo, who presented the fund as a part of the city's 2024 budget following the Supreme Court's abortion rights ruling, has criticized the pace of the fund's implementation, saying it has "dragged out" without urgency. City Manager Erik Walsh responded that they will look for means to accelerate the timeline. As things currently stand, the fund is projected to be distributed in early 2025. "We've never gone through this before," Walsh told reporters.
While Texas has stringent laws that nearly ban all abortions, with limited exceptions, the San Antonio fund stands as a municipal effort to support reproductive health services even beyond the state's borders. Woo has affirmed that, at present, facilitating someone's transport to obtain an abortion out of state is not illegal, but the city's legal advisors remain watchful of the changing law landscape, ensuring the fund's initiatives remain within the legal confines.
