A Vermont law that specifically labeled pregnancy centers as “limited services providers” and restricted free speech has been amended.
In 2023, Governor Phil Scott signed SB 37 into law, censoring the ability of pregnancy centers to advertise their services and counsel women against abortion. Under the law, the centers could have been fined up to $10,000 for advertising their services in a way that the Vermont attorney general might construe as misleading.
In response to SB 37, the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, Aspire Now, and Branches Pregnancy Resource Center sued Vermont officials for unconstitutionally restricting the centers’ speech and provision of services. The lawsuit was filed nearly two years ago by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys on behalf of the Vermont pregnancy centers.
On May 13, 2025, Scott signed into law amendments to the controversial legislation.
“Women who become unexpectedly pregnant should know they have life-affirming options available to them, from emotional support to practical resources, which is exactly what our clients offer,” said ADF Legal Counsel Julia Payne Koon. “We’re pleased that Vermont recognized it needed to amend its discriminatory law that unlawfully targeted faith-based pregnancy centers and restricted their ability to speak and act according to their conscience. Pregnancy centers must be free to serve and empower women and their families by offering the support they need without fear of unjust government punishment.”
In light of the amended law, ADF attorneys filed a stipulated dismissal of their case, National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Clark.
Aspire Now and Branches Pregnancy Resource Center are members of Care Net’s network of 1,200 centers nationwide.
Jean Marie Davis, executive director of Branches PRC, has been a vocal critic of SB 37, often pointing to her own personal story as a testament to the life-changing work of pregnancy centers.
At the 2024 March for Life in Washington, D.C., she shared her compelling testimony.
Davis told the crowd exactly how hopeless she was before finding the help she needed.
“I wanted to die,” she said. “I was hooked on crystal meth. I was trafficked from the age of two to the age of 29. I wanted my baby dead. I had no life.”
Things changed dramatically, however, when she met a client services manager at a New Hampshire pregnancy center. Davis opened her heart to Jesus and was able to find recovery and refuge for her newborn son at a home for women.
In an interview with Live Action, Davis said pregnancy centers should not be the target of pro-abortion attacks and legislation.
“A pregnancy center provided me with free resources and support to take care of my son. I was also able to realize and pursue dreams I had never imagined, such as earning a college degree,” she said.
“[The work of pregnancy centers] powerfully shows that there is real help for men, women and children in need who are caught in impossible snares and feel there is no hope — whether it’s human trafficking, homelessness, abuse or abortion. Pregnancy centers like Branches exist to provide for them. The hateful narratives that smear pro-life pregnancy centers would have some believe that I fell ‘victim’ to their work. On the contrary, because of their work, I was set free.”
In a press release, NIFLA Vice President of Legal Affairs Anne O’Connor welcomed the renewed freedom of pregnancy centers to offer life-affirming services to their communities.
“The state of Vermont has backed away from attacking the work of pro-life pregnancy centers,” said O’Connor. “Pregnancy centers are no longer under direct threat from the law and pro-abortion lobby in Vermont. For this, NIFLA celebrates; however, if in the future the state again decides to unconstitutionally pursue the work of pro-life pregnancy centers, NIFLA stands ready to take Vermont back to court and seek appropriate relief.”