AG Bonta Blocks Federal Public Health Grant Termination

CA Attorney General Press Releases

Filed March 13th, 2026

Detected March 14th, 2026

Summary

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a court order blocking the Trump Administration's termination of over $600 million in federal public health grants. The funding cuts exclusively targeted four Democratic-led states and were alleged to be politically motivated.

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What changed

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has secured a second court order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, granting a preliminary injunction that blocks the Trump Administration from terminating over $600 million in federal public health grants from the CDC. These cuts were specifically aimed at four Democratic-led states: California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota. The lawsuit, filed by the attorneys general of these states, alleged that the funding termination was based on political animus and would cause irreparable harm.

This court order means the public health funding will continue to flow to the affected states. The funding supports critical programs such as lead poisoning prevention, HIV testing and treatment, and disease outbreak tracking. Regulated entities, particularly government agencies and healthcare providers within these states, should continue to operate under the assumption that this funding remains available. The Attorney General's statement indicates ongoing efforts to ensure these cuts are blocked permanently, suggesting continued vigilance is necessary.

What to do next

Review status of federal public health grants from CDC
Confirm continued eligibility and flow of funds for affected programs
Monitor further legal developments regarding the grant termination

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Bonta Secures Second Court Order Blocking Trump Administration’s Unlawful Termination of Over $600 Million In Federal Public Health Grants

Press Release
Attorney General Bonta Secures Second Court Order Blocking T…

Friday, March 13, 2026 Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov OAKLAND — **** California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois’s decision granting a preliminary injunction that continues to block the Trump Administration from terminating more than $600 million in public health funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The planned funding cuts exclusively target four Democratic-led states: California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota. The attorneys general of each of those states filed a lawsuit last month alleging that the cuts would irreparably harm their states and are based on political animus.

“Public health funding is not a political bargaining chip,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Over and over, courts have shut down the Trump Administration’s efforts to punish states that have adopted policies it disagrees with. This case is no different. The President should be ashamed of himself. We’re talking about funding that protects children from lead poisoning, that is used for the testing and treatment of HIV, and that allows us to track disease outbreaks. With this order, this funding will continue to flow — and we won’t stop fighting until these cuts are blocked for good.”