Wyoming’s “CARE Act” for Pregnancy Centers Clears First Hurdle, Setting up a Hot Fight Next Session

A controversial proposal to shield Wyoming’s pregnancy centers from state and local interference is headed to the February budget session after a 10–2 vote by the Legislature’s Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, Wyoming News Now reports.

The “Wyoming Pregnancy Center Autonomy and Rights of Expression (CARE) Act” would bar the state, counties, and cities from forcing nonprofit pregnancy centers to offer or refer for abortions, provide abortion-inducing drugs or contraception, or change hiring and staffing if applicants don’t agree with a center’s stated ethics. Backers pitch it as a First Amendment and mission-protection measure; critics call it a carve-out for largely unregulated outfits.

The bill’s origin drew early scrutiny. Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, asked whether it was a national template. Staff acknowledged similar measures have surfaced elsewhere, while Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, who chairs the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, said she drafted this version with legislative staff for 2025. Supporters pointed to post-Dobbs clashes in other states, with Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Denise Burke arguing the act would prevent “censorship or discriminatory treatment” of pro-life centers. Opponents countered that many centers aren’t licensed clinics and aren’t bound by HIPAA, warning the bill elevates ideology over medical standards. WYO United’s Britt Borrell said the “CARE” branding is misleading if it shields centers from oversight. Sheridan resident Emma Laurent urged lawmakers to invest instead in birthing centers and recruiting OB-GYNs. Albany County school board member Sophia Gomelsky called it “medical deception,” not free speech. Cheyenne attorney Linda Burt said existing Supreme Court precedent already protects nonprofits from being compelled to speak, making the bill unnecessary and inviting “special legislation” demands from other groups.

Leaders from one Cheyenne center pushed back. LifeChoice executive director Valerie Berry said her site is a licensed medical clinic with a medical director, a volunteer OB/GYN, an FNP and registered nurses, and that it follows HIPAA and uses certified RNs for ultrasounds reviewed by the medical director. Former state health official Charla Ricciardi, now on LifeChoice’s team, described services like pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and parenting classes offered at no cost, arguing professionalism and transparency aren’t the problem the bill’s critics claim.

Even some on the panel who worry about access to maternity care questioned the timing. Scott warned a high-octane fight could swamp a tight budget calendar, and Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, said there’s no present threat that the bill actually addresses, predicting it will be used as a campaign cudgel rather than a policy fix. Both Scott and Yin voted no, but the measure advanced and will likely be one of the session’s most charged debates.