§ 59.16 - xxx

§ 59.16 Prohibition on activities that encourage, promote, or advocate for abortion.

(a) Prohibition on activities that encourage abortion.

(1) A Title X project may not encourage, promote or advocate abortion as a method of family planning. This restriction prohibits actions in the funded project that assist women to obtain abortions for family planning purposes or to increase the availability or accessibility of abortion for family planning purposes.

(2) Prohibited actions include the use of Title X project funds for the following:

(i) Lobbying for the passage of legislation to increase in any way the availability of abortion as a method of family planning;

(ii) Providing speakers or educators who promote the use of abortion as a method of family planning;

(iii) Attending events or conferences during which the grantee or subrecipient engages in lobbying;

(iv) Paying dues to any group that, as a more than insignificant part of its activities, advocates abortion as a method of family planning and does not separately collect and segregate funds used for lobbying purposes;

(v) Using legal action to make abortion available in any way as a method of family planning; and

(vi) Developing or disseminating in any way materials (including printed matter, audiovisual materials and web-based materials) advocating abortion as a method of family planning.

(b) Examples.

(1) Clients at a Title X project are given brochures advertising a clinic that provides abortions, or such brochures are available in any fashion at a Title X clinic (sitting on a table or available or visible within the same space where Title X services are provided). Provision or availability of the brochure violates paragraph (a)(2)(vi) of this section.

(2) A Title X project makes an appointment for a pregnant client for an abortion for family planning purposes. The Title X project has violated paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(3) A Title X project pays dues with project funds to a State association that, among other activities, lobbies at State and local levels for the passage of legislation to protect and expand the legal availability of abortion as a method of family planning. The association spends a significant amount of its annual budget on such activity and does not separately collect and segregate the funds for such purposes. Payment of dues to the association violates paragraph (a)(2)(iv) of this section.

(4) An organization conducts a number of activities, including operating a Title X project. The organization uses non-project funds to pay dues to an association that, among other activities, engages in lobbying to protect and expand the legal availability of abortion as a method of family planning. The association spends a significant amount of its annual budget on such activity. Payment of dues to the association by the organization does not violate paragraph (a)(2)(iv) of this section.

(5) An organization that operates a Title X project engages in lobbying to increase the legal availability of abortion as a method of family planning. The project itself engages in no such activities, and the facilities and funds of the project are kept separate from prohibited activities. The project is not in violation of paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section.

(6) Employees of a Title X project write their legislative representatives in support of legislation seeking to expand the legal availability of abortion, in their personal capacities and using no project funds to do so. The Title X project has not violated paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section.

(7) On her own time and at her own expense, a Title X project employee speaks before a legislative body in support of abortion as a method of family planning. The Title X project has not violated paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section.

(8) A Title X project uses Title X funds for sex education classes in a local high school. During the course of the class, information is distributed to students that includes abortion as a method of family planning. The Title X project has violated paragraph (a)(2)(vi) of this section.

[84 FR 7788, Mar. 4, 2019]