Title: Appropriations: State Funding for Utah's Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Sponsor: Rep. Karianne Lisonbee
Overview:
Update: 3/4/24: Since PPAC couldn’t stop the Republican majority from giving taxpayer funds this year—and every year—to Utah’s crisis pregnancy centers, PPAU decided to show how ridiculous this idea is. In this viral “Is it Cake” video, Shireen Ghorbani compares the safe and reliable health services offered by Planned Parenthood Association of Utah with the unregulated fake clinics getting new taxpayer support.
3/1/24 Update: All three of these appropriations requests were approved and funded during the 2024 Legislative Session.
Crisis Pregnancy Centers are anti-abortion organizations that claim to help pregnant people, but instead often attempt to coerce, deceive, and manipulate them into carrying pregnancies to term. The organization seeking this funding is Pregnancy Resource Centers of Salt Lake, Inc., which operates two facilities, one in Salt Lake City, and the second in American Fork. The non-profit selected for state funding is Pro-Life Utah, which is an anti-abortion advocacy group.
The direct funding is being proposed by Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, a member of the House Majority Leadership team. As a result, these funding requests are ranked in top positions on the Ongoing Funding Request Priority List.
Additional funding is also proposed as part of SB 147 (Adoption Revisions) which allocates $245,000 in state grants to organizations providing “pregnancy support services," which means services that “encourage childbirth instead of voluntary termination of pregnancy
Fact Sheet: State Funds for Crisis Pregnancy Centers (PDF)
Position: Oppose
Explanation:
Funding Totals:
$200,000 - Prolife Utah Support Life Program
$130,000 - Utah Pregnancy Resource Center Support Life Program
$245,000 - Grants for pregnancy support services (SB 147)
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$575,000 - total state funds allocated for FY24-25
Status: Requested from Social Services Appropriations Committee, Ranked #15 and #16
Location: Executive Appropriations Committee
Summary of Funding:
Executive Appropriations List - Ongoing Funding Request Priority List
#16. (DHHS) Prolife Utah Support Life Program - $200,000
#17. (DHHS) Utah Pregnancy Resource Center Support Life Program - $130,000
Prolife Utah Support Life Program
$200,000 ongoing (FY24-25)
-Requested By: Rep. Lisonbee
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Funding granted to a nonprofit organization in Utah, to establish a program to enhance and increase resources that promote childbirth instead of abortion to women facing unplanned pregnancies and to offer services, including pregnancy support services, parenting help, and adoption assistance; Provided further, That the Program shall include only the following services: Counseling or mentoring intended to improve the pregnancy or parenting situation, including care coordination for prenatal services, providing educational materials and information about pregnancy and parenting; Expense reimbursements for financial support given to the client in the form of emergency housing, temporary housing, basic utilities, medical care given at hospitals or clinics, and emergency transport; Referrals intended to improve the pregnancy or parenting situation, including referrals to county and social service programs, referrals for child care, transportation, housing and state and federal benefit programs, and referrals that connect clients to health programs; Material items intended to improve the pregnancy or parenting situation including, but not limited to, car seats, cribs, maternity clothes, infant diapers and formula;
Utah Pregnancy Resource Center Support Life Program
$130,000 ongoing FY24-25
-Requested By: Rep. Lisonbee
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Funding to be granted to Pregnancy Resource Center of Salt Lake, Inc. (nonprofit organization in Utah) to establish a program to enhance and increase resources that promote childbirth instead of abortion to women facing unplanned pregnancies and to offer services, including pregnancy support services, parenting help, and adoption assistance.
SB 147 (Adoption Revisions)
$245,000 ongoing FY24-25
-Requested By: Sen. Wilson
https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/SB0147.html
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Allocation of $245,000 in state grants to organizations providing “pregnancy support services," which means services that “encourage childbirth instead of voluntary termination of pregnancy.”