§ 5-269 Disclosures in Advertising.
(a) "Advertisement promoting the services of a pregnancy services center" includes all promotional materials, statements, visual descriptions, or other visual representations of any kind disseminated in print or electronically, including, but not limited to, mailings, postcards, signs, business cards, flyers, hand-outs, brochures, banners, billboards, subway or bus signs, window signs, store-front signs, newspaper print advertisements and listings, telephone directory listings, television advertisements, internet advertisements, social media or social network sites and radio advertisements. "Advertisement promoting the services of a pregnancy services center" does not include communications or statements made by a center in the course of its operations that do not promote the center's services to clients or the general public, and that are directed exclusively to the center's non-client directors, employees, past financial donors, and interns.
(b) Every advertisement promoting the services of a pregnancy services center must include in English and Spanish the statement: "This facility does not have a licensed medical provider on site to provide or supervise all services." The lettering of such statements in printed materials must be clear, legible, and in the same color and darkness, and in a type size at least one-third as high and one-third as broad, as the largest print in the advertisement. The lettering of such statement in television and internet advertisements must be clear and legible and in close proximity to the description of services provided at the pregnancy services center. The lettering of such statement on business cards may be printed on the back of the cards.
(c) Every pregnancy services center must also post the statement provided in Subsection (b) of this Section on its website and social media or social network sites. The lettering of such statement must be clear, legible, in the same color and darkness, and in a type size at least one-third as high and one-third as broad, as the largest print on the website or on the social media or social network site. The statement must be posted on every page of the website and social media or social network site. Where a page of the website or social media or social network site contains the description of services provided by such pregnancy services center, the statement must also be contained on that page, in close proximity to the services description.
(d) In addition to the disclosure requirements provided in subsection (c), the statement provided in subsection (b) must be included in the text of each post made on a social media or social network site. In the event a social media or social network site, such as Twitter, limits the number of characters that may be used in a post, the statement may be attached as a photo image to each post rather than included in the text of each post. Where the statement is included in a photo image, the lettering of such statement shall be consistent with the requirements described in subsection (c). Where a post contains the description of services provided by such pregnancy services center, the statement must also be in close proximity to the services description. Each post that does not comply with this requirement shall constitute a single violation, except that for the purpose of imposing a sealing order pursuant to section 20-818(b)(1) of the Administrative Code, each day of noncompliance shall be treated as a separate occasion.
(Added City Record 3/28/2016, eff. 5/27/2016)
