---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 247c–1"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "247c–1"
heading: "Infertility and sexually transmitted diseases"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/247c-1"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter II — General Powers and Duties"
  - "Part B — Federal-State Cooperation"
---

# §247c–1. Infertility and sexually transmitted diseases

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may make grants to [States](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), political subdivisions of [States](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), and other public or [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) private entities for the purpose of carrying out the activities described in [subsection (c)](#c) regarding any treatable sexually transmitted disease that can cause infertility in women if [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) is not received for the disease.
- (b) **Authority regarding individual diseases—** With respect to diseases described in [subsection (a)](#a), the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall, in making a grant under such subsection, specify the particular disease or diseases with respect to which the grant is to be made. The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may not make the grant unless the applicant involved agrees to carry out this section only with respect to the disease or diseases so specified.
- (c) **Authorized activities—** With respect to any sexually transmitted disease described in [subsection (a)](#a), the activities referred to in such subsection are—
  - (1) screening women for the disease and for secondary conditions resulting from the disease, subject to compliance with criteria issued under [subsection (f)](#f);
  - (2) providing [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) to women for the disease;
  - (3) providing counseling to women on the prevention and control of the disease (including, in the case of a woman with the disease, counseling on the benefits of locating and providing such counseling to any individual from whom the woman may have contracted the disease and any individual whom the woman may have exposed to the disease);
  - (4) providing follow-up [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a);
  - (5) referrals for necessary medical [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for women screened pursuant to [paragraph (1)](#c-1), including referrals for evaluation and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) with respect to acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other sexually transmitted diseases;
  - (6) in the case of any woman receiving [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) pursuant to any of paragraphs [(1)](#c-1) through [(5)](#c-5), providing to the partner of the woman the [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) described in such paragraphs, as appropriate;
  - (7) providing outreach [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) to inform women of the availability of the [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) described in paragraphs [(1)](#c-1) through [(6)](#c-6);
  - (8) providing to the public information and education on the prevention and control of the disease, including disseminating such information; and
  - (9) providing training to [health care providers](/usc/42/300aa–33.md?p=1) in carrying out the screenings and counseling described in paragraphs [(1)](#c-1) and [(3)](#c-3).
- (d) **Requirement of availability of all services through each grantee—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if the applicant involved agrees that each activity authorized in [subsection (c)](#c) will be available through the applicant. With respect to compliance with such agreement, the applicant may expend the grant to carry out any of the activities directly, and may expend the grant to enter into agreements with other public or [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) private entities under which the entities carry out the activities.
- (e) **Required providers regarding certain services—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if the applicant involved agrees that, in expending the grant to carry out activities authorized in [subsection (c)](#c), the [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) described in paragraphs [(1)](#c-1) through [(7)](#c-7) of such subsection will be provided only through entities that are [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) or local health departments, grantees under section [254b](/usc/42/254b.md), [254b](/usc/42/254b.md), [256a](/usc/42/256a.md), or [300](/usc/42/300.md) of this title,[^1] or are other public or [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) private entities that provide health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) to a significant number of low-income women.
- (f) **Quality assurance regarding screening for diseases—** For purposes of this section, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish criteria for ensuring the quality of screening procedures for diseases described in [subsection (a)](#a).
- (g) **Confidentiality—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if the applicant involved agrees, subject to applicable law, to maintain the confidentiality of information on individuals with respect to activities carried out under [subsection (c)](#c).
- (h) **Limitation on imposition of fees for services—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if the applicant involved agrees that, if a charge is imposed for the provision of [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) or activities under the grant, such charge—
  - (1) will be made according to a schedule of charges that is made available to the public;
  - (2) will be adjusted to reflect the income of the individual involved; and
  - (3) will not be imposed on any individual with an income of less than 150 percent of the [official poverty line](/usc/42/254c–12.md?p=1), as established by the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Office of Management and Budget and revised by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) in accordance with [section 9902(2) of this title](/usc/42/9902.md?p=2).
- (i) **Limitations on certain expenditures—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if the applicant involved agrees that not less than 80 percent of the grant will be expended for the purpose of carrying out paragraphs [(1)](#c-1) through [(7)](#c-7) of subsection (c).
- (j) **Reports to Secretary—**
  - (1) **Collection of data—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if the applicant involved agrees, with respect to any disease selected under [subsection (b)](#b) for the applicant, to submit to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), for each fiscal year for which the applicant receives such a grant, a report providing—
    - (A) the incidence of the disease among the population of individuals served by the applicant;
    - (B) the number and demographic characteristics of individuals in such population;
    - (C) the types of interventions and [treatments](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) provided by the applicant, and the health conditions with respect to which referrals have been made pursuant to [subsection (c)(5)](#c-5);
    - (D) an assessment of the extent to which the activities carried pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) have reduced the incidence of infertility in the geographic area involved; and
    - (E) such other information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may require with respect to the [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) carried out with the grant.
  - (2) **Utility and comparability of data—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall carry out activities for the purpose of ensuring the utility and comparability of data collected pursuant to [paragraph (1)](#j-1).
- (k) **Maintenance of effort—** With respect to activities for which a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) is authorized to be expended, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make such a grant only if the applicant involved agrees to maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts for such activities at a level that is not less than the average level of such expenditures maintained by the applicant for the 2-year period preceding the fiscal year for which the applicant is applying to receive such a grant.
- (l) **Requirement of application—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if an application for the grant is submitted to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), the application contains the plan required in [paragraph (2)](#l-2), and the application is in such form, is made in such manner, and contains such agreements, assurances, and information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) determines to be necessary to carry out this section.
  - (2) **Submission of plan for program of grantee—**
    - (A) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if the applicant involved submits to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) a plan describing the manner in which the applicant will comply with the agreements required as a condition of receiving such a grant, including a specification of the entities through which activities authorized in [subsection (c)](#c) will be provided.
    - (B) **Participation of certain entities—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) only if the applicant provides assurances satisfactory to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) that the plan submitted under [subparagraph (A)](#l-2-A) has been prepared in consultation with an appropriate number and variety of—
      - (i) representatives of entities in the geographic area involved that provide [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for the prevention and control of sexually transmitted diseases, including [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to provide to the public information and education regarding such diseases; and
      - (ii) representatives of entities in such area that provide family planning [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).
- (m) **Duration of grant—** The period during which payments are made to an entity from a grant under [subsection (a)](#a) may not exceed 3 years. The provision of such payments shall be subject to annual approval by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of the payments and subject to the availability of appropriations for the fiscal year involved to make the payments in such year. The preceding sentence may not be construed to establish a limitation on the number of grants under such subsection that may be made to an entity.
- (n) **Technical assistance, and supplies and services in lieu of grant funds—**
  - (1) **Technical assistance—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may provide training and technical assistance to grantees under [subsection (a)](#a) with respect to the planning, development, and operation of any [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) or [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) carried out under such subsection. The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may provide such technical assistance directly or through grants or contracts.
  - (2) **Supplies, equipment, and employee detail—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), at the request of a recipient of a grant under [subsection (a)](#a), may reduce the amount of such grant by—
    - (A) the fair market value of any supplies or equipment furnished the grant recipient; and
    - (B) the amount of the pay, allowances, and travel expenses of any officer or [employee](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-5) of the Government when detailed to the grant recipient and the amount of any other costs incurred in connection with the detail of such officer or [employee](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-5);

    when the furnishing of such supplies or equipment or the detail of such an officer or [employee](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-5) is for the convenience of and at the request of such grant recipient and for the purpose of carrying out a [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) with respect to which the grant under [subsection (a)](#a) is made. The amount by which any such grant is so reduced shall be available for payment by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of the costs incurred in furnishing the supplies or equipment, or in detailing the personnel, on which the reduction of such grant is based, and such amount shall be deemed as part of the grant and shall be deemed to have been paid to the grant recipient.

- (o) **Evaluations and reports by Secretary—**
  - (1) **Evaluations—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall, directly or through contracts with public or private entities, provide for annual evaluations of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) carried out pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) in order to determine the quality and effectiveness of the [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4).
  - (2) **Report to Congress—** Not later than 1 year after the date on which amounts are first appropriated pursuant to [subsection (q)](#q), and biennially thereafter, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, a report—
    - (A) summarizing the information provided to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) in reports made pursuant to [subsection (j)(1)](#j-1), including information on the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases described in [subsection (a)](#a); and
    - (B) summarizing evaluations carried out pursuant to [paragraph (1)](#o-1) during the preceding fiscal year.
- (p) **Coordination of Federal programs—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall coordinate the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) carried out under this section with any similar [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) administered by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) (including coordination between the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the National Institutes of Health).
- (q) **Authorization of appropriations—** For the purpose of carrying out this section, other than subsections [(o)](#o) and [(r)](#r), there are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for fiscal year 1993, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1994 through 1998.
- (r) **Separate grants for research on delivery of services—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make grants for the purpose of conducting research on the manner in which the delivery of [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) under [subsection (a)](#a) may be improved. The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may make such grants only to grantees under such subsection and to public and [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) private entities that are carrying out [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) substantially similar to [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) carried out under such subsection.
  - (2) **Authorization of appropriations—** For the purpose of carrying out [paragraph (1)](#r-1), there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 1993 through 1998.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text notes below.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 318A, as added Pub. L. 102–531, title III, § 304, Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3490; amended Pub. L. 103–43, title XX, § 2008(i)(1)(B)(ii), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 212; Pub. L. 103–183, title IV, § 402, Dec. 14, 1993, 107 Stat. 2236; Pub. L. 107–251, title VI, § 601(a), Oct. 26, 2002, 116 Stat. 1664; Pub. L. 108–163, § 2(m)(1), Dec. 6, 2003, 117 Stat. 2023.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The reference to section 254b of this title the first place appearing, referred to in subsec. (e), was in the original a reference to section 329, meaning section 329 of act July 1, 1944, which was omitted in the general amendment of subpart I (§ 254b et seq.) of part D of this subchapter by Pub. L. 104–299, § 2, Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3626.

Section 256a of this title, referred to in subsec. (e), was repealed by Pub. L. 104–299, § 4(a)(3), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3645.

### Amendments

2003—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 108–163 substituted “254b” for “254c, 254b(h)” before “, 256a”.

2002—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 107–251 substituted “254b(h)” for “256”.

1993—Pub. L. 103–43 made technical amendment to directory language of Pub. L. 102–531, § 304, which enacted this section.

Subsec. (o)(2). Pub. L. 103–183, § 402(a), substituted “subsection (q)” for “subsection (s)”.

Subsec. (q). Pub. L. 103–183, § 402(b)(1), substituted “through 1998” for “and 1995”.

Subsec. (r)(2). Pub. L. 103–183, § 402(b)(2), substituted “1998” for “1995”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Committee on Labor and Human Resources of Senate changed to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of Senate by Senate Resolution No. 20, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 19, 1999.

Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred to Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.

### Effective Date of 2003 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 108–163 deemed to have taken effect immediately after the enactment of Pub. L. 107–251, see section 3 of Pub. L. 108–163, set out as a note under section 233 of this title.