The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching investigations into 13 states for violating a federal health refusal clause and "coerccing" healthcare entities into providing or performing abortion services. The Department's Office for Civil Rights is investigating the alleged violations of the Weldon Amendment, which states that any state or local government that receives federal funding cannot discriminate against any healthcare provider that refuses to cover, pay for, refer or provide an abortion. The states being investigated are California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. The investigations were not prompted by any complaints from these states.