Illinois Law Holds Crisis Pregnancy Centers Accountable for Fraud and Misinformation

On a gray Saturday morning in May, eight people lined up outside a small, unassuming building on North Cicero Avenue on Chicago’s Northwest Side. In one of the windows below the building’s sign, “The Women’s Center,” pink baby clothes hung on a steel clothing rack. The Women’s Center is one of nearly 100 crisis pregnancy centers in Illinois that aim to dissuade women from receiving abortions. Crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs, are often faith-based, nonprofit organizations that provide certain care, such as pregnancy tests and limited ultrasounds, but are not licensed medical facilities.

The Regulatory Environment and SB1909

As nonprofits that do not provide medical services or charge for care, CPCs operate in a regulatory no-man’s land, unmonitored by both consumer and medical regulators. Abortion-rights advocates and some Democratic state lawmakers say these centers peddle medical misinformation and deceive women by physically diverting them away from abortion clinics and into their centers. On July 27, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that will provide some regulatory oversight by allowing patients to sue if they believe they were misled by a pregnancy center.

The new law amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and allows the Illinois attorney general to investigate “limited services pregnancy centers” suspected of fraud and misinformation. It subjects CPCs that violate the act to a penalty of up to $50,000. “SB1909 really focuses on the fact that women are being deceived in these places,” said Democratic state Rep. Terra Costa Howard.

Legal Challenges and National Statistics

The new law is temporarily on hold after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against it one week later. Judge Iain Johnston, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2020, said “SB1909 is both stupid and very likely unconstitutional.” Johnston has not set a date for a hearing on the merits of the case. In the meantime, CPCs constitute the largest segment of the anti-abortion movement in the United States and vastly outnumber abortion clinics.

The following data illustrates the current landscape of reproductive health facilities:

• Brick-and-mortar CPCs (U.S.): More than 2,500
• Mobile units (U.S.): At least 170
• Abortion clinics (U.S.): Approximately 800
• CPCs in Illinois: Nearly 100
• Potential Penalty under SB1909: Up to $50,000

Licensed Medical Alternatives and Patient Resources

In contrast to unlicensed centers, established medical organizations like Sutter Health provide licensed care and professional medical services. Patients seeking legitimate maternity care can visit the Sutter Amador Hospital Birth Center in Jackson or the Sutter Plymouth Health Center. At these facilities, patients can get ready for their baby and complete the birth center registration form before their delivery day.

Sutter Health also provides the following services for community health and wellness:

• Find same-day care for everyday health needs or schedule virtual care.
• Access a healthy living blog for trusted health advice on how to keep you and your little one healthy.
• Explore graduate medical education residencies and fellowships led by nationally known healthcare leaders.
• Visit a nearby Walk-In Care or Urgent Care for immediate needs.