Bill Description

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; providing legislative findings; prohibiting the state and specified governmental entities from adopting any law, rule or policy that targets pregnancy centers for oversight or regulation based on the centers' stance against abortion; providing definitions; providing penalties; specifying available damages; providing a right of intervention for members of the legislature as specified; making conforming amendments; and providing for an effective date.

Notes

Pregnancy centers have a considerable and growing life‑affirming impact on the people and communities that they serve.  They provide comprehensive care to people facing unexpected pregnancies, including resources to meet their physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs.

 

Offering services that include pregnancy tests, peer counseling, twenty‑four (24) hour telephone hotlines, childbirth and parenting classes, referrals to community health care, adoption referrals and other support services.  They encourage women to make positive life choices by equipping them with complete and accurate information regarding their pregnancy options and the development of their unborn children.

 

And yet, Pregnancy centers have faced unprecedented attacks since the United States Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal constitutional right to abortion.  Since 2022, at least one‑third (1/3) of the states have introduced legislation seeking to undermine pregnancy centers' freedom of speech and association, or legislation to interfere with their hiring and staffing decisions, while numerous municipalities have considered similar ordinances.

 

HB003 protects these critical service providers so that the state and any of its political subdivisions, counties, cities, towns, special districts and agencies shall not, through the adoption or enactment of any law, ordinance, resolution, policy or similar measure do any of the following:

 

·      Require a pregnancy center to offer or perform abortions. 

·      Require a pregnancy center to offer, provide or distribute abortion‑inducing drugs or contraception. 

·      Require a pregnancy center to refer any person for abortion, an abortion‑inducing drug or contraception. 

·      Require a pregnancy center to counsel in favor of abortion, abortion‑inducing drugs or contraception. 

·      Require a pregnancy center to post any advertisement, sign, flyer or other similar material that promotes or provides any information about obtaining an abortion, abortion‑inducing drugs or contraception. 

·      Prohibit a pregnancy center from providing information, care, counseling, classes or other services related to pregnancy, childbirth or parenting because the pregnancy center does not perform, refer or counsel in favor of abortion, abortion‑inducing drugs or contraception. 

·      Prohibit a pregnancy center from providing prenatal and postnatal resources, including diapers, baby clothes, baby furniture, formula and similar items because the pregnancy center does not perform, refer or counsel in favor of abortion, abortion‑inducing drugs or contraception. 

·      Prohibit a medical pregnancy center from providing medical testing, counseling and care related to pregnancy or childbirth because the pregnancy center does not perform, refer or counsel in favor of abortion, abortion‑inducing drugs or contraception. 

·      Prohibit a medical pregnancy center from counseling a woman on any pregnancy‑related care or treatment, including care or treatment that may reverse the effects of abortion‑inducing drugs. 

·      Interfere with the pregnancy center's staffing or hiring decisions by requiring the center to interview, hire or continue to employ any person who does not affirm the center's mission statement or agree to comply with the center's pro‑life ethic and operating procedure.

 

 

 

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