Congress·In Committee·H.R. 846

Rep. Bonamici Introduces SAD Act to Stop Deceptive Abortion Advertising

SAD Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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Law

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.
From policy text
“It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in deceptive advertising about the reproductive health services offered by the person, including advertising that misrepresents that the person-- (1) offers or provides contraception or abortion services (or referrals for such contraception or abortion services); or (2) employs or offers access to licensed medical personnel.”
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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.
From policy text
“CPCs are antiabortion organizations that present themselves as comprehensive reproductive health care providers with the intent of shaming, deceiving, or discouraging pregnant people from having abortions.”
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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.
From policy text
“any person who violates this section or a regulation promulgated pursuant this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty for each such violation that shall not exceed the greater of-- (1) $100,000 (to be adjusted annually for inflation based on the change in the Consumer Price Index); or (2) 50 percent of the revenue earned by the ultimate parent entity of a person during the preceding 12-month period.”
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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.
From policy text
“As of January 2025, abortion is unavailable in 14 States, leaving 17.9 million women, as well as transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, of reproductive age (ages 15 to 49), without access to abortion in the home State of such individuals.”
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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.
From policy text
“CPCs target under-resourced neighborhoods and communities of color, including Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, and immigrant communities, by locating CPCs near social services centers and comprehensive reproductive health care providers.”
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HealthcareCivil Rights

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 31, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Jan 31, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

4 articles

Reason Magazine·over 3 years ago

Elizabeth Warren Wants To Shut Down All of the Country's Crisis Pregnancy Centers

The Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act would empower the FTC to crack down on purportedly false claims by crisis pregnancy centers. Critics argue the bill does not define 'disinformation' with specificity, potentially leading to unconstitutional restrictions on free speech.

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Truthout·about 1 year ago

Elizabeth Warren to Reintroduce Legislation to Regulate Anti-Abortion Centers

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici are reintroducing the SAD Act to crack down on deceptive practices by crisis pregnancy centers. The bill directs the FTC to prohibit false advertising of abortion services and penalize organizations with fines up to $100,000.

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Shore News Network·about 1 year ago

Gottheimer led the charge to shut down pregnancy crisis centers offering alternatives to women over abortion

Rep. Josh Gottheimer is co-leading the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act in the House. The legislation would direct the FTC to prohibit misleading advertising related to abortion services and authorize penalties for organizations that violate these rules.