Vermont Governor Repeals Restrictions on Pregnancy Centers Amid Legal Pressures
Vermont Governor Phil Scott has signed a bill repealing a controversial 2023 law that imposed restrictions on life-affirming pregnancy centers, allowing them to continue providing services such as abortion-pill reversal. The earlier law categorized these centers as “limited-services pregnancy centers,” which do not offer or refer clients for abortion services.
The law threatened fines up to $10,000 for misleading advertising, though it lacked clarity regarding what constituted “misleading” claims. As a result, pregnancy centers faced penalties for advertising their existence and for promoting chemical-abortion reversals, which utilize the hormone progesterone to counteract the effects of the abortion drug mifepristone.
In July 2023, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) and other resource centers filed a lawsuit against state officials, arguing that the law violated their rights to free speech and their ability to provide essential services.
NIFLA Vice President of Legal Affairs, Anne O’Connor, expressed relief at the repeal, stating that pro-life pregnancy centers are no longer under threat. “The state of Vermont has backed away from attacking the work of pro-life pregnancy centers,” she said, although she affirmed the group’s readiness to defend these centers should future restrictions emerge.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the nonprofit organization representing the pregnancy centers, also celebrated the repeal. Legal Counsel Julia Payne Koon called the law discriminatory, advocating for the centers’ right to assist women without fear of government repercussions. “Women who become unexpectedly pregnant should know they have life-affirming options available to them,” she emphasized.
This repeal marks a significant moment in the ongoing national dialogue regarding reproductive rights and the support available to women in unexpected pregnancies.
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