This week we are tracking two developments regarding the unregulated pregnancy clinic (also known as crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs) industry:
First, House Democrats have called for an investigation into the annual federal funding received by unregulated pregnancy clinics (UPCs). Last week, U.S. House Oversight Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Oversight Committee Member Maxwell Frost (D-FL) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a study to determine “how much federal money UPCs have received annually and from which federal accounts.”
These clinics have access to hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars, and billions in private donations. Despite these facts, there is minimal oversight for unregulated pregnancy clinics, which often target vulnerable women and teens seeking reproductive or maternal health care, and operate free of health and safety oversight, privacy protections, or impact analysis.
Representative Raskin and Frost’s call for this investigation follows a recent appeal by the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability, which urged five state attorneys general to investigate the privacy practices of unregulated pregnancy clinics. Unlike regulated doctors’ offices or medical facilities, UPCs are not legally required to comply with HIPAA privacy rules and regulations. Heartbeat International, the country’s largest network of UPCs, recently faced scrutiny for a data breach in which one of their publicly available online videos revealed the names of real women seeking care at one of their Louisiana affiliates.
Second, the mayor of San Francisco announced a new ballot measure which would allow the city to post signs about emergency contraception and reproductive rights outside of unregulated pregnancy clinics. The measure, if passed, would require signage at UPCs to inform the public about the actual services these organizations provide. Specifically, that UPCS “do not provide comprehensive reproductive health care and where they can get information about locations that do.” The signs are just one part of the ballot measure, which seeks to shore up access to reproductive healthcare in San Francisco ahead of a possible Trump presidency.
Read more coverage below:
National UPC affiliate Network Heartbeat International calls for extremist, anti-abortion policy to be incorporated in the national Republican Party Platform. As delegates gathered for the RNC convention in Milwaukee this week, Heartbeat International – one of the nation’s leading unregulated pregnancy clinic affiliate networks highlighted the role of unregulated pregnancy clinics (UPCs) as crucial infrastructure in the anti-choice movement and pushed party leaders to adopt strong, anti-abortion policy in its platform. [Catholic Vote, 7/15/24]
Congressmen Jamie Raskin and Maxwell Frost called on the Government Accountability Office to open an investigation into UPCs’ access to federal funds. “‘Given the concerns from medical professionals and reproductive health experts that CPCs are not bound by medical and ethical practice standards and often do not provide medically accurate information or health care, and the resources they do provide are tied to undermining maternal health and access to abortion, we have serious concerns that CPCs continue to receive millions in federal aid with little transparency and accountability to the public,” they write.” [Politico, 7/12/24]
- The Hill: House Democrats call for investigation into crisis pregnancy center funding. “Recently, a study found that more than 650 CPCs in 49 states and Washington, D.C., received $400 million in federal funding, including block grants, between 2017 and 2023. More than half of the money came from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which distributed more than $280 million to CPCs. Funding also came from programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Title X Federal Family Planning grants and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Food and Shelter Program.” [The Hill, 7/11/2]
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has proposed a ballot measure for November aimed at strengthening access to reproductive health services in the city in anticipation of a potential second Trump presidency. From the mayor’s press release: “The measure proposes to enact a range of protections for women seeking abortion services and reproductive care in San Francisco, including by ensuring that no information is shared with jurisdictions outside of California where such information could be used to prosecute either a patient or a reproductive healthcare provider. Since the repeal of Roe v Wade, abortion has been banned in 14 states, and significant restrictions exist in seven others.”
- “We worry about earthquake safety,” said [advocate and Breed campaign finance director Heidi] Sieck about preparing for Trump in the Oval Office. “This is exactly the same mindset.” [San Francisco Standard, 7/11/24]