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HF 25 threatens reproductive health by funding deceptive anti-abortion clinics

February 27, 2025

What’s Happening: Today, the Minnesota House will hold another crucial hearing on HF 25, a bill that could reshape how public health funds are allocated, diverting them from Minnesota Department of Health’s operating budget managing critical health priorities to crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) that mislead and manipulate pregnant people seeking care.

Why It Matters: HF 25 would bar legitimate health providers from receiving funding unless they withhold information about abortion. Instead, taxpayer dollars would be funneled to CPCs, which operate with little to no medical oversight. This legislation not only undermines the integrity of Minnesota’s healthcare system but also threatens the well-being of pregnant individuals by restricting access to vital medical care and reliable information.

Research shows:

  • According to Gender Justice’s Designed to Deceive report, 91% of CPCs in Minnesota have no physician on staff and 80% lack a registered nurse.
  • Nearly one-third promote “abortion pill reversal,” an unproven and dangerous practice condemned by medical experts.
  • CPCs routinely mislead patients, using non-diagnostic ultrasounds by non-medical staff who may misinterpret results, delaying necessary care.

Beyond medical risks, CPCs jeopardize patient privacy. Most are not bound by HIPAA or the Minnesota Health Records Act, raising serious concerns about how sensitive health information is handled. A 2024 data breach at Heartbeat International, a national CPC network with nearly 50 affiliates in Minnesota, exposed the personal health information of more than a dozen clients.

Quote from Unrestrict Minnesota:
“We need additional state funding to support pregnant people, but it shouldn’t come with a gag clause—or go to organizations that mislead and manipulate patients. HF 25 is part of a dangerous, long-term effort to use taxpayer dollars to prop up anti-abortion centers that prioritize ideology over medical ethics. Minnesotans deserve unbiased, medically accurate care—not restrictions on their options or risks to their privacy.”