City Council Passes Regulation Bill For Pregnancy Centers

By: Grace Rauh

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After women’s rights advocates rallied at City Hall Wednesday, the City Council passed a bill that will regulate so-called "crisis pregnancy centers."

The measure, which was cleared by a vote of 39 to 9 with one abstention, requires the centers to make it clear whether or not they have a licensed medical professional on staff, and what services they provide, including emergency contraception, prenatal care and abortions.

Supporters of the legislation say the centers do not support a woman's right to choose and they mislead women into thinking they are in a doctor's office, and then try to convince them not to get an abortion.

"Let me be clear. In this legislation we are not targeting pregnancy centers in order to shut them down or interfere with any counseling that they want to provide," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. "We just want them to be honest and to say what their services are, and not to deceive women and make women believe, based on all logical information, that they are in a doctor's office when they are not."

Opponents of the bill also rallied at City Hall before the vote, and said the bill is a blatant attempt to shut down the clinics that provide an alternative to abortion.

"It is time for the left to realize that if you want true choice, it means two sides to an equation," said Queens Councilman Dan Halloran. "That's what we're here for and that's what my colleagues and I will stand up against. And believe me, this will not end here today. I have no delusion that the speaker has lined up sufficient votes to make this happen. But the courts will speak tomorrow, and the courts will say, this is not constitutional. This is an abridgement of our First Amendment rights, and we're not going to stand for it."

"You have an organization that is saying, 'Listen, there's an alternative to murder. There's an alternative to abortion.' Why would you attempt to silence an organization that is saying there is life," said Bishop Michael Clarke of Redeemer's Tabernacle.

The city will have the authority to close a center for up to five days if it repeatedly violates the disclosure rules.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to sign the bill into law.