Rep. Butler files bill in North Carolina House to prevent deceptive pregnancy center advertising

A new bill filed by State Rep. Deb Butler in the North Carolina House seeks to prevent deceptive advertising by crisis pregnancy centers and improve oversight of their impact on reproductive healthcare, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 522 on March 26 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Crisis Pregnancy Center Fraud Prevention Act.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill, titled the “Crisis Pregnancy Center Fraud Prevention Act,” defines the act of knowingly advertising abortion or emergency contraceptive services as a deceptive practice if the advertiser does not provide these services. It enables the Attorney General to pursue civil penalties and corrective measures against offenders. Additionally, the bill mandates the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate crisis pregnancy centers in North Carolina, reporting on their funding, services, and impact on access to reproductive healthcare by May 1, 2026. The bill appropriates $250,000 to support the evaluation and becomes effective Oct. 1, 2025.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Butler proposed the most bills (17) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Butler graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1983 with a BA and again in 1986 from Wake Forest University School of Law with a JD.

Butler, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2017 to represent the state’s 18th House district, replacing previous state representative Susi Hamilton.