STATEMENT: PDE Action Opposes Rep. Paul Tonko’s Amendment to the Public HealthService Act, H.R. 8209

PDE Action opposes the passage of H.R. 8209, an amendment to the Public Health Service Act, which “reauthorizes the school-based health centers program,” and respectfully urges members to vote NO on this bill.

As highlighted by Parents Defending Education Action in a 2024 Report, school-based health centers lack sufficient oversight and administrative controls, and often contain express parental exclusion policies that prevent parents from accessing critical health information about their children. The “medical services” they offer can include abortion and gender-affirming care, among others. Our research has shown that SBHCs do not achieve the purpose for which they are advertised: increasing student attendance and achievement. While these entities often range from a single school nurse to a full-blown medical clinic, SBHCs too often become a money-making machine and an access point for outside progressive organizations like Planned Parenthood. Despite these concerns, Representative Tonko’s legislation seeks to reauthorize the SBHC program through 2031.

The more social welfare services that K-12 school districts provide to the community, the more control they have over family privacy, autonomy, and control.

Read the full text of the bill here.

Dr. Terry Stoops
Director of Government Affairs
Parents Defending Education Action