On September 21, 2023, Heartbeat International learned through interview requests that the California Attorney General is suing to block us from “advertising Abortion Pill Reversal as safe and effective.” Through our Abortion Pill Rescue Network hotline, we know that some women almost immediately regret their chemical abortion choice. These women deserve the right to try and save their pregnancies. No woman should ever be forced to complete an abortion she no longer wants.

Attorney General Bonta’s lawsuit against Heartbeat International aims to conceal life-saving information from women regarding Abortion Pill Reversal, despite overwhelming evidence of its safety and effectiveness. 

Even in the midst of the attack, our focus remains: women, like Cassidy, deserve the right to try to save their pregnancies. No woman should ever be forced to complete an abortion she no longer wants. APR remains a safe and effective option, supported by scientific evidence and the lived experiences of women who, after initiating a chemical abortion, successfully reversed it and now cradle their babies in their arms.

To put it plainly: The lawsuit’s claims are flawed. We look forward to correcting the record and continuing to help women desperately seeking a last chance to choose life.

Expected Case Timeline

• September 2023: California Attorney General Rob Bonta files a complaint in the California Superior Court against Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria to censor life-saving information from women regarding Abortion Pill Reversal, despite compelling evidence of the safety of progesterone and its effectiveness in countering the abortion drug, mifepristone.  
• October 2023: Heartbeat International and RealOptions team up with Thomas More Society to defend Abortion Pill Reversal.
• February 2024: Thomas More Society filed a response on behalf of Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria asking the California Superior Court to throw out the lawsuit.
• June 2024: Court denies Heartbeat's challenges to jurisdiction and to the complaint after initial hearing.
• Litigation on the merits of the case proceeding.

Resources

• Thomas More Society Case Details & Documents
• State of California's Complaint against Heartbeat International & RealOptions
• Abortion Pill 101
• Washington Examiner: California wants to deter women from seeking to save the lives of their babies

Press Releases

• Feb. 6 Press Release: Heartbeat's Response to the lawsuit
  
• Sept. 21 Press Release: Heartbeat's Initial Response

Latest News regarding the lawsuit

If you feel so called, you can stand with us as we continue to push back against pro-abortion lies against the good work of pregnancy help. We know this will be a long battle, and we also have faith in the victory!

February 6, 2024
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thomas More Society inquiries: Tom Ciesielka, 312.422.1333, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thomas More Society Attorneys Ask Court to Throw Out AG Rob Bonta’s Lawsuit

(February 6, 2024 – Oakland, California) Today, Thomas More Society attorneys asked a California Superior Court to throw out the lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta against Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics, over their advocacy for “Abortion Pill Reversal,” the medical intervention provided to women who decide to reverse their in-progress chemical abortions. The hundreds of pages of argument and evidence represent the most comprehensive legal counterattack by the pro-life movement against recent legal maneuvers by state government officials like Bonta who are trying to interfere with and stop the efforts of pregnancy centers to help women who regret and want to reverse their chemical abortions.

Heartbeat International, an international network of thousands of pregnancy centers, provides referrals to medical providers for women who are seeking to reverse their chemical abortions through its Abortion Pill Rescue® Network, which is the target of Bonta’s lawsuit, along with the RealOptions pregnancy centers in California, which provide Abortion Pill Reversal services. Abortion Pill Reversal is the process of providing supplemental progesterone to counteract the anti-progesterone effects of the first pill (mifepristone) of the two-pill chemical abortion regimen.

“Women undergoing chemical abortions deserve the truth: even after starting a chemical abortion, they may still be able to save their babies,” remarked attorney Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation. “California and its Attorney General Rob Bonta are illegally and unconstitutionally seeking to rip away ‘choice’ from women in dire need by attacking pregnancy help ministries like Heartbeat and RealOptions, to shut down their promotion of Abortion Pill Reversal. Abortion Pill Reversal provides real hope for women who want to stop their abortions and continue their pregnancies. Today’s massive legal filings mark the most ambitious and broad-based counterattack by the pro-life movement against the efforts of state officials, like Rob Bonta, who intend to prevent women from accessing this potentially life-saving treatment option.”

Heartbeat International President Jor-El Godsey agrees:

“California should be more concerned with helping women who desperately want to continue their pregnancy,” stated Godsey. “Targeting women’s opportunity to reverse their abortion is an obvious act of misusing the goodwill of taxpayer funding to shill for Big Abortion.”

Bonta’s aggressive campaign to dismantle Heartbeat International’s Abortion Pill Rescue Network and shut down RealOptions’ Abortion Pill Reversal services went public when he filed a Complaint for Permanent Injunction against both, along with 100 unnamed “Does,” on September 21, 2023, in the Alameda County Superior Court of California.

“Despite overwhelming evidence of Abortion Pill Reversal services’ safety and effectiveness, this lawsuit makes outrageously false claims against Heartbeat International and RealOptions,” explained Paul Jonna, Thomas More Society Special Counsel and Partner, LiMandri and Jonna LLP. “Attorney General Bonta’s lawsuit aims to hide life-saving information from women regarding Abortion Pill Reversal. This is a desperate attempt by Bonta to eliminate any competition to the well-funded abortion lobby with which he has proudly partnered throughout his political career.”

In their February 6, 2024, filings, Thomas More Society attorneys advance three main arguments:

(1) The First Amendment protects the advocacy efforts and information provided by Heartbeat and RealOptions to women about Abortion Pill Reversal.

(2) On Bonta’s claims, the Superior Court cannot decide a “battle of scientific experts” between Heartbeat’s scientific studies and Bonta’s competing studies on Abortion Pill Reversal.

(3) California’s Reproductive Privacy Act and its Constitution totally immunize Heartbeat and RealOptions, prohibiting Bonta from interfering with their aid and assistance to pregnant women who want to stop and reverse their chemical abortions.

Among the information provided to the Superior Court, Thomas More Society provided compelling evidence of the safety of supplemental progesterone for pregnant women and its effectiveness in countering the effects of mifepristone, the first pill of the two-pill chemical abortion regimen. In particular, progesterone has been safely used by obstetrician-gynecologists for decades to thwart potential miscarriage in pregnant women.

Read the Memoranda in support of Demurrers, on behalf of Heartbeat International and RealOptions, and of Motion to Quash Service, on behalf of Heartbeat International, filed February 6, 2024, by Thomas More Society attorneys in the Superior Court of the State of California – County of Alameda, in The People of the State of California v. Heartbeat International & RealOptions, here.

The complete collection of court documents filed February 6 is available here.
 

About Heartbeat International

Heartbeat International has been providing pro-life pregnancy resources since its inception in 1971. Today, it is the largest and most expansive network in the world with nearly 3,500 affiliated pregnancy help locations providing life-affirming alternatives to abortion. For more information, please visit heartbeatinternational.org.

About RealOptions

RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics is a non-profit 501(c)3 recognized for its quality of care since 1981. Providing caring, compassionate, high quality holistic healthcare with or without insurance, support services, optimal health education, and pregnancy loss healing to women, men, students, and families, RealOptions has five licensed medical clinic locations serving Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties devoted to caring for patients physically, emotionally, and spiritually. RealOptions offer a broad spectrum of prevention, intervention, and restorative services to the community positively impacting thousands of students and families in the Bay Area each year. For more information, please visit realoptions.net.     

About Thomas More Society

Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.

In the days leading up to the 2024 March for Life, Heartbeat arranged a Congressional Staff briefing with pro-life Members of Congress to discuss the power of pregnancy help. More than 20 Congressional and Senate offices were represented and each had an opportunity to ask questions to gain a clearer understanding of pregnancy help as a whole.

Heartbeat President Jor-El Godsey opened the briefing with remarks on the history and foundation of the pregnancy help movement, moving into the current challenges. 

“A concerted effort empowered by abortion proponents and emboldened by political opportunists has been mounted to discredit, to disrupt and even destroy the work of pregnancy help centers,” Godsey said. “The abortion industry has led the charge in calling us fake clinics, and doing so while these pregnancy centers actually have licensed healthcare professionals on staff, and as volunteers, activists.”

See the facts in answer to pro-abortion “fake clinic” claims at PregnancyCenterTruth.com.

He discussed big tech censorship of pregnancy help, the Supreme Court Dobbs ruling, and the prevalence of chemical abortion. Jor-El was followed by Heartbeat International’s Senior Director of Medical Impact Christa Brown, who covered both chemical abortion and Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) for the briefing, enlightening many of them about this shift in the abortion industry.

This opened the opportunity for Katelynn, an APR mom who received immediate and ongoing care through the pregnancy help movement, to share her testimony. Her daughter, Aubrie, was in attendance as proof of the ongoing care and compassionate support that happens in pregnancy centers and maternity homes every day. (Read more about Katelynn and her journey here.)

Since Dobbs, the pregnancy help movement has been the target of increasing hostility, whether through the violence in the early days following Dobbs or now efforts to delegitimize pregnancy centers with accusations the centers are misleading clients, to efforts to enact local ordinances or state laws that are additionally burdensome on the speech rights of centers. Heartbeat's General Counsel, Danielle White, addressed these concerns. 

After the briefing, pregnancy help leaders told their story on Capitol Hill at a Congressional press conference highlighting how pregnancy centers walk with women through pregnancy, serving them and their families with support and compassion.

The press conference took place against the backdrop of a number of pro-life measures either passed or introduced, with the U.S. House of Representatives passing the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act and the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act that day. The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act was sponsored by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act was sponsored by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN).

Also on Thursday, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) led the introduction of the Pregnancy Center Support Act, and Rep. Smith to introduce the Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act. 

The various measures were to protect women and families in need and also pregnancy help from pro-abortion affronts such as the Biden administration’s proposed rule targeting the use of TANF funding by pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs.

At the press conference, Congressman Chris Smith said the great work that pregnancy centers do is a story that has not been told.

“Eighty-three % of all Americans, 75% of the Democrats in this country support the great work of the women and men and all of those back in the states who are doing the work for these pregnancy centers,” Smith said, citing the latest Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll. 

“It is all about love and what they do, which again, does not get much press,” Smith said. “When a woman does have the abortion, they're there for her as well. When it's the baby and the mother they love them both. When it's just the mother, they still love her and help her with counseling and assistance. It's incredible. Great love in action.”

Heartbeat International has teamed up with the March for Life Education and Defense Fund to organize a nationwide donation drive for pregnancy centers and maternity homes! You are the backbone of what it means to build a culture of Life. We are better together in this movement, so when they proposed we partner to bless pregnancy help organizations with donations, we eagerly agreed. We are, and have always been, "with every woman, for every child." 

As our thanks to you, the March for Life called on marchers and the entire pro-life community to contribute to a pregnancy help organization like yours. Watch their March for Life featured commercial below where they tout the good work of pregnancy help!

We were able to fill the March for Life website with more than 500 pregnancy centers and maternity homes nationwide so people can provide practical support in their local communities.

Feel free to share this video and the Donation Drive with your supporters and highlight the partnerships within the movement to amplify the message of hope offered through your efforts. 

March for Life Nationwide Donation Drive: https://marchforlife.org/pregnancyhelp/

 The Resource Center

Greeley, CO

 The Resource Center has been serving Northern Colorado for over four decades with locations in Greeley and Windsor. We are a community-funded medical center specializing in pregnancy and STD resources and support. Our nurses and trained advocates take a holistic approach meaning we care about your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and financial needs. Our professional services are designed by experienced staff to help you find answers to make the best decision for your life and circumstances.

We believe you deserve comprehensive and accurate medical information regarding an unplanned pregnancy, abortion procedures, parenting, adoption, and STDs. During your appointment, you will meet one-on-one with an advocate where you can learn about your options, share what’s on your mind, and process all the information in a safe environment. All of our services and materials are free of charge, so we will never benefit financially from any decision you make.

Watch two stories of lives impacted by The Resource Center below!

Resource Center 2017 - Kathryn's Story from The Resource Center on Vimeo.

What It Means to Be a Sister Center

Being a Sister Center will allow you the opportunity to participate in monthly calls with an international counterpart. These calls can be used to:

• pray for one another
• garner a fuller understanding of pregnancy help throughout the world
• share ideas as to how to connect with clients and potential clients

The Sister Center program is not intended as a fundraiser.

Talking Points

• Threat to Crucial Support Services: The Proposed Rule by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poses a significant threat to women being denied pregnancy help through the targeting of pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs.
  
  
• Undermining TANF Flexibility: The Proposed Rule undermines the flexibility granted to states under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. States, designed to have autonomy in addressing the root causes of poverty, may face politically motivated decisions that contradict the original intent of TANF reforms.
  
  
• Bias Against Pro-Life Mission: The regulatory changes introduced by HHS disproportionately target pregnancy centers without presenting evidence of any misuse of federal funds. This bias against their pro-life mission raises concerns about the administration's impartiality and adherence to Congress' design for TANF.
  
  
• Lack of Comprehensive Impact Analysis: The Proposed Rule lacks a comprehensive analysis of the potential impact on federal and state expenditures, as well as the harm that withdrawing TANF funding would cause to individuals served by pregnancy centers. This oversight undermines the credibility of the proposed changes.
  
  
• Urgent Call for Withdrawal: Given the potential harm to pregnant women and their unborn babies, we urgently call for the withdrawal of the Proposed Rule. It is essential to maintain the ongoing support provided by pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs, aligning with the core principles and purposes of the TANF program.

Sample Letter

Subject: Urgent Request for Withdrawal of Proposed Rule on TANF Funding for Pregnancy Centers

Dear Secretary Becerra:

We write to express our deep concern about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule, “Strengthening Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as a Safety Net and Work Program,” published on October 2, 2023. The Proposed Rule targets pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs, jeopardizing their funding and, consequently, the crucial assistance they provide to pregnant women in need.

TANF, established in 1996, aims to address poverty's root causes and reduce dependency on government by promoting work and marriage. Pregnancy centers, with over 2,700 across the country, play a vital role in providing support to women facing difficult pregnancies, offering services like counseling, ultrasounds, and material assistance at virtually no cost. These centers, often staffed by volunteers, saved taxpayers an estimated $266 million in 2019.

The Proposed Rule raises significant concerns as it targets pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs, potentially stripping them of TANF funding. This move, seemingly aligned with the Biden administration's pro-abortion agenda, is inconsistent with Congress' intent to grant states flexibility in implementing TANF reforms.

HHS's regulatory changes allow the Secretary to question the legitimacy of TANF expenditures, creating a risk of politically motivated decisions that could undermine the autonomy of states. The Proposed Rule singles out pregnancy centers without providing evidence of misuse of federal funds, revealing a bias against their pro-life mission.

Moreover, HHS fails to address the potential impact on federal and state expenditures or the harm to individuals served by pregnancy centers if TANF funding is withdrawn. The lack of comprehensive analysis undermines the credibility of the Proposed Rule.

In conclusion, we urge the immediate withdrawal of the Proposed Rule. Pregnant women and their unborn babies deserve continued support from pregnancy centers and alternatives to abortion programs. The Proposed Rule jeopardizes this support and undermines the integrity of the TANF program.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Organization]
[Contact Information]

Resources

• Read the HHS Proposed Rule Change
  
• Heartbeat's Life Trends 
• Lozier Institute's Pregnancy Center fact sheet

I know you will enjoy learning more about Heartbeat, where moms find hope and babies are saved every day. - Cindi