Attorney General Anne Lopez has joined a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia to file a lawsuit against the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The action contests the termination of nearly $12 billion in public health grants, which Attorney General Lopez described as abrupt and illegal.
The terminated grants were crucial to state health agencies for managing infectious diseases, fortifying emergency preparedness, and providing mental health and substance abuse services. Hawai‘i, in particular, faces a loss of more than $89 million. This funding previously supported a variety of health services, including data infrastructure and modernization, substance abuse prevention, and public health infrastructure improvements across the state.
Governor Josh Green has voiced concern over how the grant terminations jeopardize pressing health needs in Hawai‘i, especially with emerging diseases like measles and bird flu on the rise. The grants, which were part of COVID-19-related legislation, were meant to support critical health needs, but they were terminated by HHS without prior notice, citing the conclusion of the pandemic as the reason.
Attorney General Lopez emphasized that the termination of these binding grant agreements is "unlawful and harms our most vulnerable and underserved communities.” The coalition’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, argues that federal law has been violated, as the end of the pandemic does not constitute a valid "for cause" termination. The states are seeking a temporary restraining order to block the termination of these grants and prevent future actions by HHS that might enforce the cancellations.
Representing Hawai‘i in this litigation are Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day and Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes. Attorneys general from states including Arizona, California, Colorado, and New York, along with the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, have joined the lawsuit.