SAD Act

Key Points

• The SAD Act would make it illegal to use deceptive advertising about reproductive health services, specifically targeting organizations that falsely claim to offer abortions, contraception, or access to licensed medical personnel when they actually do not.
• The bill primarily targets crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which it describes as anti-abortion organizations that present themselves as comprehensive health care providers but actually aim to discourage people from having abortions. The bill says there are over 2,500 CPCs nationwide, outnumbering abortion clinics 3 to 1 on average.
• The Federal Trade Commission would enforce these rules and could impose civil penalties of up to $100,000 per violation or 50% of the violator's total yearly revenue, whichever is greater. The FTC would also gain special authority to go after nonprofit organizations, which are normally outside its jurisdiction.
• The bill argues that since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, deceptive advertising has become more harmful because people already face much longer travel distances to reach abortion clinics. It notes that 17.9 million women of reproductive age live in states where abortion is now unavailable, and over 170,000 people traveled out of state for care in 2023.
• The bill specifically highlights that these deceptive practices disproportionately harm low-income communities and communities of color, because CPCs tend to locate near social service centers and reproductive health providers in underserved neighborhoods to draw people away from legitimate care.