Worcester Law On Crisis Pregnancy Centers Proposed By Councilor

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester At-Large Councilor Thu Nguyen is asking for a local law regulating so-called "crisis" pregnancy centers, which aim to steer people away from abortions and emergency contraception.

Worcester has two pregnancy centers, and both were vandalized recently. The centers attract people with services like ultrasounds and sexually transmitted disease tests, but then counsel people away from abortion. The centers often pop up in Google searches for the term "abortion."

Attorney General Maura Healey recently issued a warning to state residents about the clinics, which she calls "misleading."

"[T]heir goal is to prevent people from accessing abortion and contraception," she said in a statement on July 6. "In Massachusetts, you have the right to a safe and legal abortion. We want to ensure that patients can protect themselves from deceptive and coercive tactics when seeking the care they need."

Nguyen said Worcester should join other local cities and towns like Easthampton and Cambridge in regulating the centers. Nguyen's proposal would require any site offering pregnancy services to also offer referrals for abortion care and emergency contraception.

"Worcester should join Somerville and Cambridge in ensuring that any such establishment operating within city limits with a primary purpose of providing services to people who are or have reason to believe they may be pregnant, including mobile facilities, must either directly provide or provide referrals for abortions or emergency contraception," Nguyen's proposal says.

The proposal will be up for discussion at Tuesday's Worcester City Council meeting — although it's possible the item will be tabled by another councilor, putting off action until a later date.