States can use welfare money for pregnancy centers.

What it does

This bill lets states spend federal welfare money on pregnancy centers. Pregnancy centers give counseling and help like diapers and prenatal classes. The bill defines pregnancy centers broadly. It covers any group that supports protecting life and offers counseling or material aid. Before this bill, it was unclear if states could do this.

Who it affects

States can now choose how to spend some welfare money. Pregnancy centers may get more funding. Families needing childcare or job training might get less money instead.

One thing to notice

Pregnancy centers do not have to follow the same rules as other groups getting welfare money. Welfare money is limited, so money for pregnancy centers means less money for other help.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

15 cosponsors: 15 Republicans.

• Jan 6, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 6, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Committee on Finance · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means”
• Jan 14, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Jan 14, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 18”
• Jan 21, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 215 - 209 (Roll no. 37).”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 4 reports from Dec 2025 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $463,451 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 40 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 61% of bills with any report.

Michelle Fischbach, who sponsored the bill, received $783,550 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Susan B Anthony List — $420,000 in 1 report
• Power to Decide — $33,451 in 2 reports
• Disability Rights Education & Defense Inc — $10,000 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• pregnancy centers — Places that give counseling and material help to pregnant women and new parents.
• material aid — Physical things like diapers, formula, and clothes given to help people.
• welfare money — Federal money that states use to help poor families pay for food and housing.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.