California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a significant development in the ongoing legal battle over public health funding. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island has issued a preliminary injunction against the termination of $11 billion in federal public health funds by the Trump Administration's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
The court found that the federal government had "clearly usurped Congress’s authority to spend and allocate funds." This decision maintains the flow of critical funding to plaintiff states and the District of Columbia until further notice.
Attorney General Bonta expressed relief at this development, stating, "Left unchallenged, California alone would lose more than $972 million from these illegal cancellations by HHS. We will not allow that to happen." He emphasized that the preliminary injunction ensures continued support for state and local public health agencies while litigation proceeds. The court also indicated that success on the merits of their claims is likely.
On April 1, Bonta announced his role in leading a coalition comprising 23 states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit against HHS over what they argue is an unlawful termination of public health funding. Notices were abruptly issued starting March 24, 2025, ending federal support for essential public health initiatives such as disease tracking and immunization access.
The lawsuit contends that these terminations violate several aspects of the Administrative Procedure Act. According to statements from the Trump Administration, these grants are deemed unnecessary following their appropriation through COVID-19 related laws now considered obsolete due to the pandemic's end. A temporary restraining order was previously secured on April 3.
A copy of the court’s order is available for review.