A bill that will require licensed clinics to notify clients of state programs that offer abortion services has been passed by the California State Assembly and is now in the State Senate.
AB 775, or the Reproductive FACT (Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care, and Transparency) Act, is authored by Assembly members David Chiu and Auturm Burke.
The legislation "would require a licensed covered facility, as defined, to disseminate a notice to all clients, as specified, stating, among other things, that California has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services, prenatal care, and abortion, for eligible women."
Under the bill, the notice should read, "California has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services (including all FDA-approved methods of contraception), prenatal care, and abortion for eligible women. To determine whether you qualify, contact the county social services office at [insert the telephone number]."
In addition, the bill "will require an unlicensed covered facility, as defined, to disseminate a notice to all clients, as specified, stating, among other things, that the facility is not licensed as a medical facility by the State of California."
Facilities that fail to comply will be fined $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
The California Catholic Conference is opposing the bill, saying that in actuality it "discriminates against those pregnancy centers / clinics that hold a pro-life viewpoint."
"This bill is prescriptive and in direct violation of our First Amendments Right for Free Speech. AB 775 would impose double standards of operation for different clinics," the conference said.
It deemed the bill as unfair as it "may discourage women from getting the information and assistance that they need and deserve."
The bill, it said, would expose many licensed pregnancy centers/clinics, including its directors and board members, to criminal or civil sanctions for failure to comply.
"Neither medical centres nor those offering non-medical social support should be forced to provide a politically-motivated, government-mandated disclaimer or advertisements," the conference said.
