Under Threat of Closure, LA Pregnancy Center Agrees to Begin Conveying Abortion and Birth Control Information

LOS ANGELES, CA - A pregnancy center that missed a deadline to comply with a state law requiring that it provide clients with referrals to low-cost or free abortion, family planning and contraception services has pledged to cooperate, City Attorney Mike Feuer announced today.

Feuer had previously given the Pregnancy Counseling Center, at 10211 Sepulveda Blvd., until last Sunday to comply with the FACT Act, which mandates that centers offering counseling on pregnancy options or other pregnancy- related services post information about how to access a range of services, including abortion and contraception, or provide clients with the information on paper or digitally.

The state law was put in place to prevent certain centers, often referred to as "pregnancy crisis centers," from steering clients away from considering abortion altogether.

Los Angeles County Department of Business and Consumer Affairs investigators visited the Pregnancy Counseling Center on Monday and found that it was not in compliance, according to Feuer.

Feuer requested a temporary restraining order on Tuesday to force the center to comply. Later that day, an attorney for the center contacted Feuer's office to say the facility will comply with the state law, the city attorney said.

Feuer said in May that he planned to actively enforce the state law. He said he sent reminder notices to six centers, and had planned to notify others in the coming months.

"I pledged to protect a woman's right to have accurate information before she makes the most personal and sensitive of choices, and I meant it," Feuer said. "We will aggressively enforce the FACT Act, taking any action necessary against those who violate it."

City News Service; Photo: www.pexels.com