Provides certain deceptive practices in advertising of pregnancy-related services or health care services violate consumer fraud act.*

A1679 ACW Statement 3/9/26

ASSEMBLY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND WOMEN'S AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY,
No. 1679

with
committee amendments

STATE
OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:
�MARCH
9, 2026

����� The Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs
Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1679.

����� As amended, this bill provides that certain deceptive
practices in advertising of pregnancy-related services or health care services
violate the consumer fraud act.

����� Under the amended bill, it is an unlawful practice
under the consumer fraud act, P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.), for a person
to:

����� (1) make, publish, disseminate, circulate, or place
before the public, or cause, directly or indirectly, to be made, published,
disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public, in a newspaper,
magazine, or other publication, or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet,
letter, or poster, or over any radio station, or via the Internet, or in any
other way, an advertisement, announcement, or statement containing any
assertion, representation, or statement with respect to pregnancy-related
services or the provision of health care services which is false or misleading;

����� (2)� make false or misleading statements about, or
misrepresent the person�s intent to provide, pregnancy-related services or health
care services; or

����� (3) falsely represent that the person is a health care
facility if the person is not, in fact, a health care facility.

����� The bill requires a complaint alleging a violation to
be investigated within 30 days of receipt. �A person that violates the
provision of the bill is subject to all remedies and penalties available
pursuant to the State�s consumer fraud act.� In addition to these penalties,
and any other penalties under current law, a person that is in violation of the
bill is required to: (1) immediately cease and desist the false or misleading
representation, advertisement, announcement, or statement; and (2) issue an
advertisement, announcement, or statement, correcting the false or misleading
representation, advertisement, announcement, or statement that was the subject
of the violation.

����� The bill further provides that if a person is about to
engage in, is continuing to engage in, or has engaged in conduct which is in
violation of the bill, or if it is in the public interest, the Attorney General
may issue a cease and desist order, seek and obtain an injunction prohibiting
the person from advertising or providing pregnancy-related services or health
care services, and seek and obtain a court order requiring the person to take
whatever remedial steps the court deems necessary to correct the adverse
effects of the person�s untrue, deceptive, false, or misleading advertising or
statements on any client seeking pregnancy-related services or health care
services.

����� This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the
2026-2027 session pending technical review.� As reported, the bill includes the
changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS
:

����� The committee amended the bill to:

����� (1) Remove the definition of �crisis pregnancy center,�
��physician,� and �false or misleading,� as well as references to these terms
in the bill;

����� (2) Revise the definition of �pregnancy-related
services� to include abortion services;

����� (3) Provide definitions of �health care services� and
�person�;

����� (4) Prohibit a person from falsely representing that
the person is a health care facility if the person is not, in fact, a health
care facility; and

����� (4) Make clarifying and technical changes to the bill.