Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a bill on Sunday to defund abortion provider Planned Parenthood by $1.3 million, a day after he came in at fifth place in a field of six candidates in South Carolina's Republican Party presidential primary.
The bill targets the funding that Planned Parenthood receives from Ohio's health department that is used for HIV testing, breast and cervical scan screenings and prevention of violence against women, the Associated Press reported.
House Bill 294 prohibits the fund from being used by any entity that performs or promotes abortions, or its affiliates.
It does not name Planned Parenthood, but supporters of the bill said the abortion provider will be the most affected. The fund will go to health centres and other providers that do not perform abortions.
State and federal laws already ban taxpayer funds from being utilised to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
According to a Planned Parenthood leader in Ohio, they will remain open but its community health programmes would be cut.
The organisation said the services targeted by the bill helped them provide more than 47,000 STD tests and 3,600 HIV tests to Ohio residents last year.
Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards said, "This legislation will have devastating consequences for women across Ohio."
Kasich's spokesman, Joe Andrews, said, "The Ohio Department of Health has at least 150 other sub-grantees and contractors for the affected grants and projects addressing such issues as new born babies, infant mortality, expectant mothers, violence against women, and minority HIV/AIDS."
He said, the state's health department "will reallocate funding from ineligible providers under the new law to other currently eligible providers, ranging from local health departments and community organisations to hospitals and universities. These organisations will be required to submit proposals in order to receive funding."
Planned Parenthood alleged that Kasich has already enacted 17 measures that restrict women's health in Ohio.
The signing of the bill follows the release of videos alleging that Planned Parenthood sold foetal tissue to researchers for profit.
