MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A bill scheduled for debate today in the Alabama House of Representatives would give tax credits to those who donate to pregnancy resource centers. The bill was scheduled to be voted on last week in the House, but the chamber adjourned before it came up for a vote amid Democratic filibusters.
Known as the Pregnancy Resource Act, House Bill 208 would allow up to $10 million a year in tax credits to be awarded to Alabamians who make donations to pregnancy centers.
Pregnancy centers are nonprofit organizations that offer medical services to pregnant women such as testing and sonograms. Often run by religious anti-abortion groups, the centers also provide women information on alternatives to abortion, including adoption.
While the centers have amassed strong support among many pro-life advocates for the services they provide at reduced or no cost, they’ve also proven controversial among pro-choice advocates, who claim the clinics sometimes use deception to dissuade women from seeking abortions.
Sponsored by Rep. Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville, with 40 co-sponsors, the bill could mean $10 million less per year in the Education Trust Fund, according to a fiscal note attached to the bill. The credits would be in effect through 2028 unless extended by the Legislature.
Kiel told Alabama Daily News that with the overturning of Roe V. Wade, Alabama leaders had “great responsibility to care for the babies and mothers before and after birth,” and that pregnancy centers “largely fill this role.”
“In 2019, the Alabama legislature passed the Human Life Protection Act, making abortion illegal in Alabama; I am very thankful for this law that now protects babies in the womb from being murdered, (and) an awesome result of this law is that we will have more babies and mommas in the state,” Kiel said in an email response.
“My bill would allow taxpayers to voluntarily give up to 50% of their state tax liability to these centers via tax credits (and) it will be an incredible way for us to participate in the great work these centers are doing in over 54 locations throughout the state. I am hopeful that this will increase giving to Pregnancy Crisis Centers across the state.”
According to the Crisis Pregnancy Center Map, an online tool created by the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia, there are 53 pregnancy centers in Alabama.
Prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Alabama had just three abortion clinics, down from 45 in 1982. Following the historic Supreme Court decision, and with Alabama having passed a bill in 2019 banning nearly all abortions, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall ordered all remaining abortion clinics in the state to “immediately cease and desist operations.”
The bill stipulates that only certain pregnancy centers would be eligible for individuals to donate to and receive tax credits. The criteria mandates that eligible centers have to regularly answer phone calls, be open to patrons a minimum of 20 hours a week, utilize trained and licensed medical professionals, and offer services at no cost for “the express purpose of providing assistance to women in order to carry their pregnancy to term” and “prevent abortion.”
Rep. Mike Shaw, R-Hoover, one of the 40 co-sponsors of the bill, told Alabama Daily News that the legislation would be a good opportunity for pro-life advocates to “put our money where our mouth is” in providing additional medical and financial support to pregnant mothers and their families.
“I’ve been pro-life my whole life, and I think now that we’re in a post-Roe world, I think it’s really important that we put our money where are mouth is in doing what we can to enable a support system for women and men that find themselves in this situation,” Shaw said.
“A lot of time, we’re accused as pro-life people of only being pro-birth, but I think most of us really do care about providing whatever support we can. I know sometimes these crisis centers can be characterized as only trying to stop women from getting an abortion, but what I know about them is that’s not what they’re about at all. Obviously they are pro-life, but they’re really about creating that support system; medical help, legal help, they do things across the board to help these situations.”
Another co-sponsor of the bill, Rep. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, whose district includes the Real Life Pregnancy Center, said he has personally seen the impact of pregnancy centers in his community, and that the bill was a “very strong piece of legislation” that he felt could help not only the entire state, but especially his own community.
“Here in Marshall County, we have the Real Life Pregnancy Center and they rely on donations and volunteers for most of the work that they do, so anytime someone has an unplanned pregnancy or is going through something, sometimes they just need somebody to be able to get them through the steps,” Kitchens told Alabama Daily News.
“There’s just so many services that they’re able to provide, and I just really feel with this type of legislation, we’ll be able to help bring awareness to it, but also help encourage people to support their programs. I feel like it’s a very strong piece of legislation that I hope we’ll have bi-partisan support because I do feel like it will help a lot of individuals in all 67 counties, but especially my own.”
The bill does, however, have its critics, among them being Dr. Andrea Swartzendruber of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department in the College of Public Health at University of Georgia. Swartzendruber shared with Alabama Daily News her research findings on pregnancy centers, as well as what she considered to be a danger they posed.
“Crisis pregnancy centers often present themselves as medical clinics, but they are not; a wealth of evidence shows that the centers do not follow national medical and ethical practice standards,” Swartzendruber said.
“The centers aren’t subject to the same regulations as medical clinics, including regulations to keep clients’ personal information safe and confidential. Prominent national and international public health and medicine associations have issued statements warning that (pregnancy centers) pose risk to individual and public health, and urge all levels of government to exclusively support programs that (provide) accurate and comprehensive information to people experiencing or at risk for unintended pregnancy.”
The bill is scheduled to be voted on in the Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 16.