The federal government does not have to pay back any money

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Federal agencies do not have to repay the state $7 million in family planning grants while a lawsuit challenging federal abortion counseling regulations is pending in Tennessee, an appeals court ruled this week.

Tennessee lost its attempt to force the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to restore its Title X funding while the state challenged the federal Department of Health and Human Services' program rules. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's ruling and disagreed with Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's argument that the federal rules violated Tennessee's state sovereignty.

In a 2-1 decision, the panel ruled that Tennessee could not use its state laws to “dictate” eligibility requirements for federal funding.