Following the fall of Roe v. Wade, abortion clinics across the country have been forced to close. As a result, individuals seeking abortions in states that no longer provide such services were forced to travel across state lines. Taking advantage of this and those in need of abortion care, several “pro-life” facilities masked themselves as pro-choice and falsely advertised the services they provide, including abortion and contraceptives. To stop this practice, the Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance on Tuesday prohibiting pregnancy centers from misleading people about the reproductive health services they provide.
Proposed by City Attorney Mike Feuer, the measure takes effect immediately under an urgency clause, and will be enforced with fines of $10,000 per violation. According to LAist, the ordinance will also allow victims to sue for compensation if they believe the clinics have misled them.