A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has overturned a Department of Health and Human Services policy that placed new limits on federally funded teen pregnancy prevention programs, finding that the agency acted unlawfully.

In a 65-page decision issued on October 7, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled that HHS overstepped its authority when it required recipients of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program to align their curricula with presidential executive orders. The orders directed federal agencies to remove what the administration described as “gender ideology” and “radical indoctrination” from federally supported initiatives.

The case was brought by three Planned Parenthood affiliates: Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, Planned Parenthood of California Central Coast, and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. The organizations administer federal grants through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and argued that the policy would have forced them to change approved curricula or risk losing their funding.

Judge Howell ruled that the agency violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires federal agencies to follow a transparent and reasoned process when issuing new rules. The court found that HHS adopted vague and politically motivated standards without evidence or explanation, leaving recipients uncertain about how to comply.

The dispute began in March when HHS instructed grant recipients to review their programs for compliance with presidential directives. Several affiliates challenged that guidance, but a court declined to block it, saying the harm was not yet clear.

On July 2, HHS approved the affiliates’ annual funding for the third year of their five-year grants and, on the same day, issued the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Policy Notice. The notice expanded earlier guidance by redefining key terms such as “age appropriate” and “medically accurate,” and warned that programs that did not comply could lose funding.

Judge Howell found that HHS introduced these changes without legal authority or adequate analysis. The court said the agency “expressed these requirements in such vague generalities as to leave recipients entirely in the dark” and failed to assess how the restrictions might affect existing programs. It added that provisions barring “harmful ideologies” or “normalizing sexual activity” were too unclear to enforce consistently.

By vacating the July 2025 policy notice, the court restored the original framework for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which Congress designed to fund education models proven effective through scientific research. The decision allows organizations to continue using evidence-based curricula that are medically accurate and age-appropriate.

The Department of Justice, representing HHS and Secretary Robert Kennedy, has not said whether it will appeal the ruling.