Weinberg Bill Would Help Protect Family Planning Workers

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg that would establish a confidentiality program for family planning services employees, their families and their clients was approved by the Senate today.

“We have seen a disturbing increase in the number of clinics targeted with threats against doctors and staff.  Some of the offenders have obtained personal information on the employees that they used to threaten their families at their homes and at their children’s schools,” said Senator Weinberg (D-Bergen).  “Intimidation and threats of violence have no place in our country, this program will allow for health services employees and clients, as well as their families, to be protected.”

The program would be similar to the current Address Confidentiality Program for domestic violence victims which allows victims of domestic violence to establish an alternate mailing address and keep their actual address confidential.  The bill would apply to any employee, volunteer, or contractor with, or a client or patient of, a reproductive health service provider, or a family member of any such person, who fears for his or her safety because of his or her status as such.

The bill, S-1761 would define “reproductive health service provider” as a hospital, clinic, physician’s office, or other facility that provides reproductive health services.

The program would provide the participant with a designated address to be used as their mailing address. The program would forward the participant’s mail to their actual address, while the information would remain confidential and available only to employees of the program and to law enforcement. The participant could use the designated address as the participant’s work address and may request that any state or local agency use it as the participant’s address.

According to the 2014 National Clinic Violence Survey, personal targeting of abortion providers has risen precipitously. Their survey of 242 abortion providers found a rise in all forms of targeted intimidation and threats.  Not only are staff, volunteers, and doctors harassed and intimidated, but the anti-choice protesters often target their children at school or their spouses at work.

The protesters who engage in different types of intimidating behavior, including stalking and threatening pamphlets, find addresses and personal information from medical agency and state department of health databases, use license plates to track down registration information, and hire private investigators.

The bill was approved 38 – 0.