Domestic-violence coalitions and Rhode Island nonprofits sue HHS over grant terms requiring alignment with agency priorities
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
Twenty-eight plaintiffs, led by Rhode Island nonprofits and state domestic-violence coalitions, sued HHS over grant terms requiring recipients to align with agency and presidential priorities. They call the terms unlawful and vague; HHS has not yet answered in court.
Read the full background
The suit, Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families v. Kennedy, was filed October 29, 2026, in federal court in Rhode Island. The plaintiffs are three Rhode Island groups, 24 domestic-violence and sexual-assault coalitions and organizations from 20 other states and the District of Columbia, and Hennepin Healthcare System, a county safety-net hospital in Minnesota.
According to the complaint, an HHS grants policy issued April 3, 2026, tells every HHS division to add a term to discretionary awards requiring recipients to align with agency priorities posted online. It also directs senior appointees reviewing awards to apply principles that include advancing the President's policy priorities and not funding racial preferences, denial of the sex binary, illegal immigration or initiatives that promote anti-American values. The plaintiffs say the conditions would force them to drop or change services for LGBTQ+ people and specific racial or cultural communities, or give up HHS funding. They ask the court to set the conditions aside and to block HHS from imposing them or similar conditions.
Some of the same groups won an earlier challenge to HHS and HUD grant conditions: in Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Kennedy, filed July 21, 2025, Judge Melissa R. DuBose vacated those conditions on August 14, 2026. A separate challenge to Justice Department grant conditions has its own case.
We did not find a public response from HHS to the new complaint as of November 3, 2026.
People in this case
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Directly involved
Timeline
4 timeline entries on this page. Dates: July 21, 2025 to October 29, 2026
July 2025
Earlier coalition suit challenges HHS and HUD grant conditions
Incident
Domestic-violence, sexual-assault, housing, youth and homelessness groups file Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Kennedy over HHS and HUD grant conditions on diversity, equity, inclusion and transgender rights.
[01]ACLU of Rhode Island
ACLU of Rhode Island release on the ruling in Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Kennedy, the earlier suit filed July 21, 2025, in which a federal judge rejected HHS and HUD grant conditions on diversity, equity, inclusion and transgender rights.
Health and Housing Grants Protected After Federal Court Rejects Trump-Vance Administration's Unlawful Restrictions · ACLU of Rhode IslandFull release
April 2026
HHS issues revised grants policy
Incident
According to the complaint, HHS sends all divisions a revised grants policy requiring discretionary awards to carry a term requiring alignment with agency priorities and applying policy principles in grant review.
[02]Complaint, Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families v. Kennedy, No. 1:26-cv-00814 (D.R.I.)
Complaint filed October 29, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island by 28 plaintiffs against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS and several HHS divisions. It challenges an HHS-wide grants policy that requires recipients to align with agency priorities and applies policy principles to discretionary awards, and brings claims under the Administrative Procedure Act, the First Amendment, the separation of powers and the Spending Clause.
Complaint, Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families v. Kennedy, No. 1:26-cv-00814 (D.R.I.)Complaint, ECF No. 1 (54 pages)
August 2026
Court vacates the earlier HHS and HUD conditions
Incident
Judge Melissa R. DuBose grants summary judgment to the plaintiffs in the earlier case and vacates the challenged HHS and HUD grant conditions.
[01]ACLU of Rhode Island
ACLU of Rhode Island release on the ruling in Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Kennedy, the earlier suit filed July 21, 2025, in which a federal judge rejected HHS and HUD grant conditions on diversity, equity, inclusion and transgender rights.
Health and Housing Grants Protected After Federal Court Rejects Trump-Vance Administration's Unlawful Restrictions · ACLU of Rhode IslandFull release[03]RI Nonprofits Sue HHS Over New Federal Grant Conditions
Uprise RI report on the three Rhode Island plaintiffs in the new suit and its 28 plaintiffs in all, with a history of the earlier case, including the August 14, 2026, ruling that vacated the earlier HHS and HUD conditions.
October 2026
Coalition files RICCF v. Kennedy
Incident
Twenty-eight plaintiffs sue HHS, Secretary Kennedy and several HHS divisions in federal court in Rhode Island, asking the court to set aside the alignment condition and policy principles.
[02]Complaint, Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families v. Kennedy, No. 1:26-cv-00814 (D.R.I.)
Complaint filed October 29, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island by 28 plaintiffs against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS and several HHS divisions. It challenges an HHS-wide grants policy that requires recipients to align with agency priorities and applies policy principles to discretionary awards, and brings claims under the Administrative Procedure Act, the First Amendment, the separation of powers and the Spending Clause.
Complaint, Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families v. Kennedy, No. 1:26-cv-00814 (D.R.I.)Complaint, ECF No. 1 (54 pages)[04]ACLU of Rhode Island
ACLU of Rhode Island release announcing the lawsuit, with statements from the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families, Community Care Alliance, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island and the ACLU of Rhode Island, and the full list of plaintiffs.
Nonprofit Groups, State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Challenge Unlawful Conditions Imposed by HHS · ACLU of Rhode IslandFull release
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families
HHS's requirement that grant recipients align with agency priorities and advance the President's policy priorities exceeds HHS's statutory authority.
What is disputed
The complaint says no statute authorizes the condition. According to the complaint, HHS's April 2026 grants policy directs every HHS division to include it in discretionary awards. HHS has not answered the complaint in court as of November 3, 2026.
Sources (1)
- Complaint, Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families v. Kennedy, No. 1:26-cv-00814 (D.R.I.)Complaint, ECF No. 1 (54 pages)
Disputed claim
Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families
The agency priorities that HHS grantees must align with are so vague that they expose grantees to arbitrary enforcement, including False Claims Act actions and grant termination.
What is disputed
The complaint says the grants policy does not define agency priorities, the President's policy priorities or anti-American values, and lets divisions link to priorities on their websites that can change without notice. HHS has not answered the complaint in court as of November 3, 2026.
Sources (1)
- Complaint, Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families v. Kennedy, No. 1:26-cv-00814 (D.R.I.)Complaint, ECF No. 1 (54 pages)
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
3 responses. Newest first.
Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic ViolenceStatewide domestic violence coalition and plaintiff, in a statement released by the ACLU of Rhode Island Before this statement
The coalition is one of the plaintiffs in the suit announced that day by the ACLU of Rhode Island.
"Survivors deserve access to safety and support without unnecessary barriers, yet, these harmful restrictions imposed by the Department of Health and Human Services threaten that fundamental principle."
CondemnedCase context: Domestic-violence coalitions and Rhode Island nonprofits sue HHS over grant terms requiring alignment with agency priorities
Full statement and sources
In a statement announcing the suit, the coalition says the conditions would harm Black and Brown communities, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ people and other vulnerable groups and force organizations to choose between federal funding and their work.
After the statement
It said the conditions would force organizations to choose between critical federal funding and the integrity of their work, and could mean fewer pathways to safe housing for survivors.
Nonprofit Groups, State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Challenge Unlawful Conditions Imposed by HHS · ACLU of Rhode IslandFull releaseWhy this label?
The reference point is HHS's grant conditions requiring recipients to align with agency priorities and advance the President's policy priorities. The coalition, a plaintiff, calls the restrictions harmful and says they would force organizations to choose between funding and the integrity of their work, which condemns them.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Rhode Island Coalition for Children and FamiliesMembership coalition of child and family service providers and lead plaintiff, in a statement by executive director Tanja Kubas-MeyerDirectly involved Before this statement
Kubas-Meyer said it was deeply regrettable that the coalition had to join the suit to protect the children and families its members serve.
"Federal funding should support children and families' needs and not be conditioned on ideological restrictions that conflict with providers' missions and obligations."
CondemnedResponding to: HHS's requirement that grant recipients align with agency priorities and advance the President's policy priorities exceeds HHS's statutory authority.
Full statement and sources
Executive director Tanja Kubas-Meyer says the coalition regrets having to join the suit to protect the children and families its members serve, and that funding should not carry restrictions that conflict with providers' missions.
After the statement
She said the coalition was taking this step because all children and families deserve access to the care, support and resources they need.
Nonprofit Groups, State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Challenge Unlawful Conditions Imposed by HHS · ACLU of Rhode IslandFull releaseWhy this label?
The reference point is HHS's grant conditions requiring recipients to align with agency priorities and advance the President's policy priorities. The lead plaintiff calls them ideological restrictions that conflict with providers' missions and obligations, which condemns them.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
ACLU of Rhode IslandState ACLU affiliate whose foundation is cooperating counsel for the plaintiffs, in a statement by executive director Steven Brown Before this statement
Brown called the conditions the latest unlawful attempt to overhaul the grant funding requirements and said they undermine the work of the plaintiff organizations.
"These restrictions are incredibly broad and put grant applicants between a rock and a hard place: They can choose to apply and accept restrictions that are counter to their own missions or not apply, lose the grant funding, and be unable to support the people in their communities."
CondemnedResponding to: The agency priorities that HHS grantees must align with are so vague that they expose grantees to arbitrary enforcement, including False Claims Act actions and grant termination.
Full statement and sources
Executive director Steven Brown calls the conditions an unlawful attempt to overhaul grant requirements and says applicants must either accept restrictions counter to their missions or lose funding.
After the statement
He said the ACLU of Rhode Island is hopeful the court will rule the restrictions unlawful.
Nonprofit Groups, State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Challenge Unlawful Conditions Imposed by HHS · ACLU of Rhode IslandFull releaseWhy this label?
The reference point is HHS's grant conditions requiring recipients to align with agency priorities and advance the President's policy priorities. The ACLU of Rhode Island, whose foundation is cooperating counsel for the plaintiffs, calls the restrictions unlawful and broad, which condemns them.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(4)
Original text
Complaint, Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families v. Kennedy, No. 1:26-cv-00814 (D.R.I.)
Relevant passage: Complaint, ECF No. 1 (54 pages)
About this source
Complaint filed October 29, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island by 28 plaintiffs against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS and several HHS divisions. It challenges an HHS-wide grants policy that requires recipients to align with agency priorities and applies policy principles to discretionary awards, and brings claims under the Administrative Procedure Act, the First Amendment, the separation of powers and the Spending Clause.
- Author
- Plaintiffs' counsel: Democracy Forward, Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island and ACLU Foundation of Rhode Island
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
RI Nonprofits Sue HHS Over New Federal Grant Conditions
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Uprise RI report on the three Rhode Island plaintiffs in the new suit and its 28 plaintiffs in all, with a history of the earlier case, including the August 14, 2026, ruling that vacated the earlier HHS and HUD conditions.
- Author
- Rocco Caravaggio
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Health and Housing Grants Protected After Federal Court Rejects Trump-Vance Administration's Unlawful Restrictions
Relevant passage: Full release
About this source
ACLU of Rhode Island release on the ruling in Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Kennedy, the earlier suit filed July 21, 2025, in which a federal judge rejected HHS and HUD grant conditions on diversity, equity, inclusion and transgender rights.
- Author
- ACLU of Rhode Island
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Nonprofit Groups, State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Challenge Unlawful Conditions Imposed by HHS
Relevant passage: Full release
About this source
ACLU of Rhode Island release announcing the lawsuit, with statements from the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families, Community Care Alliance, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island and the ACLU of Rhode Island, and the full list of plaintiffs.
- Author
- ACLU of Rhode Island
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Domestic-violence coalitions and Rhode Island nonprofits sue HHS over grant terms requiring alignment with agency priorities
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/riccf-v-kennedy-hhs-grant-alignment-conditions
The Dispute Index. "Domestic-violence coalitions and Rhode Island nonprofits sue HHS over grant terms requiring alignment with agency priorities". First published: 2026-11-04. Last updated: 2026-11-04. https://disputeindex.com/cases/riccf-v-kennedy-hhs-grant-alignment-conditions