This bill, the Stop Antiabortion Disinformation Act, would make it illegal for any person to place deceptive advertising about reproductive health services. It targets ads that falsely say a provider offers contraception or abortion services or referrals, or that they employ or give access to licensed medical staff. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would write rules to carry out the law, treat violations as unfair or deceptive acts, and could bring civil actions, seek injunctions, damages, restitution, and civil penalties. Nonprofit organizations would also be covered. The bill sets civil penalties at the greater of $100,000 (adjusted for inflation) or 50 percent of the ultimate parent entity's revenue for each violation. The FTC must report to Congress starting one year after enactment and every two years after that about enforcement and regulations. The bill includes findings saying crisis pregnancy centers often use deceptive tactics and that access to abortion has changed since Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
If enacted, organizations that advertise reproductive health services must not mislead people about offering abortion, contraception, referrals, or licensed medical staff. The FTC would have the authority to investigate and bring court actions against advertisers who violate the law. People seeking care could see enforcement actions against entities the FTC finds are using deceptive advertising. The bill requires the FTC to report its enforcement actions to Congress on a regular schedule.
No publicly available information on federal budgetary costs or estimated budgetary effects is included in the bill text. The bill specifies civil penalties for violations: the greater of $100,000 (to be adjusted annually for inflation) or 50 percent of the ultimate parent entity's revenue for the prior 12 months, for each violation.
The bill's findings state that abortion is an essential part of reproductive health care and that access has been reduced since Dobbs. It says crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) often present inaccurate or misleading information, may not employ licensed medical staff, and can collect and disclose sensitive information. The findings say CPCs outnumber abortion clinics in many places and that deceptive advertising can delay or prevent access to time-sensitive care, especially for low-income people and communities of color.
No publicly available information on opponents' views is included in the bill text or accompanying metadata.