A federal district court has ruled in favor of Harris County and a coalition of local governments in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), reinstating millions of dollars in public health funding that had been cut earlier this year.

The court found that HHS exceeded its authority by terminating funds that had been lawfully appropriated by Congress and were already in use by local governments nationwide. The decision prevents the loss of critical public health programs in Harris County, including disease surveillance, immunization outreach, and community health worker initiatives.

Harris County stood to lose funding for key services such as wastewater surveillance used to detect emerging diseases, mobile vaccination clinics, and the HCPH Connect program, which links low-income residents to health care, food assistance, and other essential services. The cuts also threatened the county’s ability to monitor more than 80 infectious diseases, including measles, mpox, Zika, and tuberculosis.

Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, who led the legal challenge, said the ruling protects vital public health infrastructure and affirms the role of Congress in federal spending decisions.

The lawsuit, filed in April 2025, included plaintiffs from Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; Kansas City, Missouri; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); the Public Rights Project; and Democracy Forward.