HB611

Louisiana Family Forum

No public reasoning provided.

Louisiana Right to Life

HB 611 would require pregnancy centers that provide “healthcare services” to be licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health. HB 611 is unnecessary and would place additional burdens on the amazing work of pregnancy centers that provide critical assistance to moms and babies. HB 611 is flagship legislation of the abortion industry. A vote for this bill is a vote to join states like California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, the only other states that impose licensing requirements on pregnancy centers. These pro-abortion states are not friendly to pregnancy centers. -- Medical Pregnancy Centers Already Operate Under Licensed Medical Oversight: Pregnancy centers that provide medical services such as pregnancy testing or ultrasound already operate under the supervision of a licensed medical director. This legislation duplicates oversight that is already in place. -- The Licensing Process Would Place an Undue Burden on Pregnancy Centers: Pregnancy resource centers are often small, non-profit organizations that rely on limited funding and staff. The licensing process and ongoing compliance requirements may force some of the smaller, more rural pregnancy resource centers to stop providing ultrasounds and pregnancy tests. This would be a disservice to women in rural communities who already face limited healthcare resources. HB 611 is not about health and safety. It is a thinly-veiled attack on pregnancy centers that provide valuable free resources to otherwise underserved women and families.