On Tuesday, February 27, 2018, the California Women’s Law Center filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in National Institute of Family Life Advocates v. Becerra.

The brief was filed in support of California’s Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care and Transparency (FACT) Act, passed in 2015. The FACT Act addresses the harmful practices of pregnancy centers that often operate in low-income, rural and majority-minority areas and give false, misleading or no information about the full range of reproductive health care options available to women facing or trying to prevent unplanned pregnancies.  

The law requires pregnancy centers that are not medically licensed to disclose that information, and requires pregnancy centers to provide notice that there are free or low cost methods for comprehensive family planning services available through public programs. 

Pregnancy centers are challenging the law in the Supreme Court on free speech grounds, arguing the law should not withstand First Amendment scrutiny. CWLC’s brief argues that the law passes any level of scrutiny because California has a strong interest in ensuring that women who have unplanned pregnancies have timely, complete and accurate information about their reproductive health options. Legal Voice, Gender Justice and the Southwest Women’s Law Center also signed on to the brief. 

CWLC is proud to advocate for comprehensive health care options for all women, regardless of their income, race, age or education level. To read the full brief, click here. To learn more about CWLC’s other work in women’s health, please click here.