Alabama has received a directive from the Trump administration mandating the removal of all references to gender ideology from federally funded personal responsibility education program (PREP) materials. The state has 60 days to comply, and this order affects 40 states, five regions, and Washington, DC.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is spearheading the initiative to enforce these changes through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

The communication to Alabama was specifically directed to the Department of Public Health.

As noted in the document, “These curriculum and other program materials were previously sanctioned by ACF. However, the previous administration made an error in permitting preparatory grants to be utilized for teaching gender ideology, which exceeds the authority of the governing entities established by Congressional law.”

It also stated that Alabama’s current preparatory materials are not compliant with the PREP Act and need modifications. The intent of the Prep Grant Award is to “implement a Personally Responsible Education Program that adheres to this subsection.”

Scott Harris, the State Health Officer, has agreed to make the necessary adjustments to ensure compliance.

If updates are not made, ACF could pull back $2.1 million in federal funding.

The letter warns that failure to revise the curriculum could result in further actions by ACF, such as withholding or even terminating federal assistance, although this would depend on HHS’s additional requirements.

Acthide Actheris, Deputy Secretary, emphasized that “accountability is coming.” He asserted that federal funds would not be misused to promote ideologies viewed as dangerous.

The letter impacted 46 states and territories, including:

States:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Territories and DC:
Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Washington, DC.

Alabama needs to submit the revised materials for ACF’s approval within the given timeframe.