A new Los Angeles city ordinance would punish pro-life pregnancy centers with $10,000 fines and subject them to lawsuits for “misleading advertising.”

The Los Angeles Times reports the city council approved the ordinance Tuesday in a unanimous 11-0 vote. It went into effect immediately.

Although the legislation does not specifically mention pro-life pregnancy centers, City Attorney Mike Feuer admitted the purpose is to crack down on nonprofits that oppose abortion. At the meeting Tuesday, he mentioned that there are at least five in the city, according to the report.

In the ordinance, which Feuer sponsored, it accuses pregnancy centers of using false advertising to prey on vulnerable, abortion-minded women in stressful situations and delay them from seeking “time sensitive” abortions or prenatal care. California already has a law prohibiting false advertising, but the ordinance claims the legislation is “inadequate.”

The law, introduced by City Atty. Mike Feuer, allows the city to fine a pregnancy center up to $10,000 if it is caught falsely advertising the services it provides, such as prenatal care, abortions or emergency contraceptives. Individuals who are misled by these centers can sue and seek damages under the new law, which takes effect immediately via an urgency clause. 

The LA Times report referred to a study from the University of North Carolina that found almost 30 percent of women who visited a pregnancy center were less likely to abort their unborn babies.

Full story at LifeNews.com.