New York City Passes Law Requiring Disclosures By Crisis Pregnancy Centers

The New York Times reports that yesterday New York City Council passed Int. No. 371 which requires crisis pregnancy centers that do not provide abortion or contraceptive services to disclose these facts (in Spanish and English) on a sign in their waiting room, on their website and in any ads. They must also disclose on a waiting room sign that licensed medical providers are not available, where that is the case. The bill passed council by a vote of 39- 9 with one abstention, and a spokesperson for Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the mayor will sign the bill.  Opponents of the bill say it is an unconstitutional regulation of speech. A federal district court in Maryland recently struck down a similar Baltimore ordinance, finding that it is a viewpoint based regulation. (See prior posting.)  The director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, however, defended the New York City bill as one directed at preventing deceiving women into thinking they have been to a doctor when employees who offer ultrasound exams are dressed in medical scrubs. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]