State Launches Website To Clarify Post-Roe Disinformation About Abortion Rights

By Camelot Todd, Nevada Current

October 12, 2022

Nevada has launched a website to clarify the state’s legal landscape for abortion in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned the nearly 50-year precedent set by Roe v. Wade.

The site, launched Tuesday by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, debunks misinformation that has surged since the Supreme Court decision in June, including confusion over the cost of services for different kinds of abortion. The site also links to a form where people can report crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which are nonprofits that aim to intercept people seeking an abortion, if those centers are disseminating misinformation or engaging in other deceptive practices.

Nevada has at least seven CPCs in the state, including two in Las Vegas. That state does not disburse any general funds towards CPCs and “under (Gov. Steve) Sisolak that won’t change,” according to a statement from the governor’s office announcing the new website.

Since CPCs are often religious nonprofits and not clinics, they are not held to the same standards as medical clinics, OBGYNS, or family-licensed therapists for the services or accuracy of the information they provide.

Nevada Democratic members of Congress have supported federal efforts to regulate CPCs.

The state website details how to report regulatory violations that CPCs may engage in, like operating an unlicensed medical facility or clinic, to the state.

Complaints can be filed online through a state Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance form and by selecting “Other” for the facility and then typing crisis pregnancy center. The reports can be anonymous. If possible, the state requests that you include the address.

The website also clarifies and provides information about what different types of abortions – medication, surgical and induction – cost and which trimester the procedures can be completed in.

Abortion access is codified by Nevada law up to 24 weeks and after 24 weeks if the individual’s health is at risk. While the law can’t be repealed without a direct vote from Nevadans, there are ways that access can be limited through future legislation.

The state’s attempt to clarify Nevada abortion law extends an Executive Order signed by Sisolak in June that protects health care professionals in Nevada, prohibits state agencies from helping other states that impose civil or criminal liability on people seeking abortion services, and declares that the governor’s office will decline any extradition requests.

“I am committed to ensuring Nevadans have access to reproductive health care without fear or shame,” Sisolak said in the statement.

Joe Lombardo, Sisolak’s Republican opponent in the race for governor, initially said if elected he would look at repealing Sisolak’s executive order, but has since switched his position.

Nevada Current, a nonprofit, online source of political news and commentary, documents the policies, institutions and systems that affect Nevadans’ daily lives. The Current is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.