116-421: PPFA may refer to: Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), or often referred to simply as Planned Parenthood Professional Picture Framers Association , international organisation Personnel Professional Friendly Advice Ltd, UK limited company Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
232-502: A 501(c)(4) charity, and files financial information jointly with PPFA. The committee was founded in 1996, by then-president Gloria Feldt, to maintain supportive health rights and supporting political candidates of the same mindset. In the 2012 election cycle, the committee gained prominence based on its effectiveness in spending on candidates. Although the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) shares some leadership with
348-526: A Democrat, notified the clinic that no criminal charges would be filed after a three-year investigation, as "an objective, unbiased and thorough examination" showed no wrongdoing. Morrison stated that he believed Kline had politicized the Attorney General's office. In 2012, a Kansas district attorney found that the practices of the Kansas City -area Planned Parenthood clinic was "within accepted practices in
464-526: A New York law against disseminating contraceptive information. In 1932, Margaret Sanger arranged for a shipment of diaphragms to be mailed from Japan to a sympathetic physician in New York City. When U.S. customs confiscated the package as unlawful contraceptives, Sanger aided that physician in filing a lawsuit to contest the seizure. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in
580-537: A biased tone, and being an example of forum shopping . Biopharmaceutical groups were also critical of judge Kacsmaryk, claiming his ruling "set a precedent for diminishing FDA's authority over drug approvals, and in so doing, [created] uncertainty for the entire biopharma industry". Upon appeal (six days later) to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit , some of the ruling by judge Kacsmaryk
696-582: A federal lawsuit challenging the FDA's approval of mifepristone from back in the year 2000. Trial court hearings in the case occurred on March 15, 2023. On April 7, 2023, Matthew Kacsmaryk , a district judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas , ruled at the trial-level in that case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration , that
812-427: A fine, a jail sentence of up to 5 years for a first offense, a jail sentence of up to 10 years for any subsequent offense, or a combination of a jail sentence and a fine, as is stated in its text. There exists two elements to an offense under section 1461. First, it must relate to that described; chiefly, either obscene or pertaining to abortion. Second, a person must knowingly mail, cause to be mailed, or remove from
928-622: A follow-on to Roth , the Supreme Court ruled that material pertaining to homosexuality is not ipso facto obscene and later reaffirming the conclusion in MANual Enterprises v. Day (1962). The Miller test is the obscenity test currently applied to the Comstock Act, as explained in the opinion for Hamling v. United States (1974). With respect to the Comstock Act's references to abortion, which currently have not been removed as had
1044-779: A group of private citizens organized the Citizens Committee for Planned Parenthood to aid the American Birth Control League in spreading scientific knowledge about birth control to the general public. The BCCRB merged with the ABCL in 1939 to form the Birth Control Federation of America (BCFA). In 1942 the name of the BCFA was changed to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Under the leadership of
1160-581: A key role in landmark abortion rights cases such as Roe v Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v Casey (1992). Once abortion was legalized during the early 1970s, Planned Parenthood also began acting as an abortion provider. Faye Wattleton became the first African American president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in 1978. Wattleton, who was also the youngest president in Planned Parenthood's history, served in this role until 1992. During her term, Planned Parenthood grew to become
1276-674: A little over $ 1 million per year for rented space. The largest facility, a $ 26 million, 78,000-square-foot (7,200-square-meter) structure, was completed in Houston , Texas , in May 2010. PPFA's international outreach and other activities are performed by Planned Parenthood Global, a division of PPFA, and by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) which now consists of more than 149 Member Associations working in more than 189 countries. The IPPF
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#17328552902931392-471: A long time) has not garnered widespread support in U.S. courts. The law has had some prosecutions in recent years, though enforcement of the Act's provisions has shifted from obscenity generally to primarily being a tool in securing child pornography convictions, as evidenced by federal appellate court decisions from 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2022. The most recent conviction made under the Comstock Act, with five of
1508-436: A postal service reconsolidation bill. Amended multiple times since initial enactment, most recently in 1996, the Act is nonetheless often associated with U.S. Postal Inspector and anti- vice activist Anthony Comstock . The law was applied broadly for much of its history, before the scope of enforcement narrowed after various court rulings, and modern enforcement is primarily focused on prosecuting child pornography (with
1624-491: A regulatory gag order stating that medical institutions that receive Title X funding cannot refer patients for abortions. Planned Parenthood is an advocate for the legal and political protection of reproductive rights . This advocacy includes helping to sponsor abortion rights and women's rights events. The Federation opposes restrictions on women's reproductive health services, including parental consent laws for minors. To justify this position, Planned Parenthood has cited
1740-714: A saving construction that conformed the section with the Miller test . Later, in Smith v. United States (1977), the Supreme Court would push back against another vagueness argument (this time presented as an as-applied challenge ). Writing for the court, Justice Harry Blackmun , best known for writing the opinion delivered in Roe v. Wade (1973), would go on to explicitly state the following: Neither do we [the Supreme Court] find § 1461 unconstitutionally vague as applied here. Our construction of
1856-555: A similar line of interpretation towards 18 U.S.C. § 1462 and Sec. 305. of the Tariff Act of 1930 (or 19 U.S.C. § 1305) respectively. The opinion in Thirty-Seven Photographs was handed down two years prior to Miller v. California (1973) and additionally interpreted a 14-day time limit into beginning forfeitures under Sec. 305 of the Tariff Act of 1930. While the standards for what constitutes obscenity have changed since
1972-445: A violation of section 1462 is identical to that provided for violating section 1461. Similarly there exists two elements to an offense under this section. First, the matter in question has to be of the nature described. Second, a person must knowingly commit any of the specified acts (which in this section is either import, carriage in interstate or foreign commerce, or receipt of the specified material) and implicate in connection either
2088-604: Is a series of current provisions in Federal law that generally criminalize the involvement of the United States Postal Service , its officers, or a common carrier in conveying obscene matter , crime-inciting matter, or certain abortion -related matter. The Comstock Act is largely codified across title 18 of the United States Code and was enacted beginning in 1872 with the attachment of an extraneous rider to
2204-829: Is an American nonprofit organization that provides reproductive and sexual healthcare and sexual education in the United States and globally. It is a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). PPFA has its roots in Brooklyn , New York, where Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, in 1916. Sanger founded the American Birth Control League in 1921, and 14 years after her exit as its president, ABCL's successor organization became Planned Parenthood in 1942. Planned Parenthood consists of 159 medical and non-medical affiliates, which operate over 600 health clinics in
2320-471: Is approved (under the brand name Mifeprex), in a regimen with misoprostol (a prostaglandin analogue), for ending of a pregnancy up to 70 days post gestation . Mifepristone is additionally approved on its own (under the brand name Korlym) as a treatment for Cushing's syndrome . Mifepristone is sometimes used, albeit off-label in the United States, for treating fibroids , treating endometriosis , treating miscarriage , or inducing labor . Mifepristone
2436-467: Is aware that his conduct is of that nature...if the element involves a result of his conduct, he is aware that it is practically certain that his conduct will cause such a result." As nothing indicates otherwise, and since a violation of the Act is a non-capital offense, it has a 5-year statute of limitations. In June 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a 5–4 majority opinion in
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#17328552902932552-1681: Is further associated with International Planned Parenthood Federation affiliates in the Caribbean and the Americas , and IPPF European Network, as well as other organizations like Family Planning Queensland , Pro Familia (Germany) ( de ) and mouvement français pour le planning familial (French Movement for Family Planning) ( fr ) . Offices are located in New York, NY; Washington, D.C.; Miami, FL; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Abuja, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya. The organization's focus countries are Guatemala , Nicaragua , Costa Rica , Ecuador , Peru , Senegal , Burkina Faso , Nigeria , Sudan , South Sudan , Uganda , Ethiopia , and Kenya . The Bloomberg Philanthropies donated $ 50 million for Planned Parenthood Global's reproductive health and family planning efforts in Tanzania , Nicaragua, Burkina Faso , Senegal and Uganda. Among specific countries and territories serviced by Planned Parenthood Global's reproductive planning outreach are Brazil , Colombia , El Salvador , French Guiana , Guatemala, Haiti , Honduras , Martinique , Mexico , Panama , Paraguay , Peru, Suriname , Venezuela , Puerto Rico , U.S. Virgin Islands , Dominican Republic , Barbados , Bolivia , Ecuador, Guadeloupe , Saint Martin , Guyana , Cape Verde and Samoa . Planned Parenthood has received federal funding since 1970, when President Richard Nixon signed into law
2668-529: Is in its scope, which is more limited than 18 U.S.C. § 1461, as it describes three as opposed to the seven particular matters. The three matters specified in 18 U.S.C. § 1462 are: The final Comstock Act provision in chapter 71, title 18, United States Code, found at section 1463 , concerns mailing any of the matters mentioned in section 1461 or 1462 on the outside of a mail piece. Like section 1462, this section came initially as an amendment (contained in Sec. 212.) through
2784-420: Is obscene or immoral, or any drug or medicine or any article whatever for causing unlawful abortion, or any lottery ticket, or any printed paper that may be used as a lottery ticket, or any advertisement of any lottery... This provision has two basic aspects. First and foremost, it subjects certain matters to civil forfeiture. Secondly, it provides a number of exceptions. These exceptions are items imported without
2900-784: Is the largest single provider of reproductive health services and the largest single provider of abortions in the United States. In their 2014 Annual Report, PPFA reported seeing over 2.5 million patients in over 4 million clinical visits and performing a total of nearly 9.5 million discrete services including 324,000 abortions. Its combined annual revenue is US$ 1.3 billion, including approximately $ 530 million in government funding such as Medicaid reimbursements. Throughout its history, PPFA, and its member clinics have experienced support, controversy, protests, and violent attacks. The origins of Planned Parenthood date to October 16, 1916, when Margaret Sanger , her sister Ethel Byrne , and Fania Mindell opened
3016-667: Is to make abortions more difficult to obtain. Planned Parenthood has also opposed initiatives that require waiting periods before abortions, and bans on late-term abortions including intact dilation and extraction , which has been illegal in the U.S. since 2003. Planned Parenthood supports the wide availability of emergency contraception such as the Plan B pill. It opposes conscience clauses , which allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense drugs against their beliefs. Planned Parenthood has been critical of hospitals that do not provide access to emergency contraception for rape victims. Citing
3132-771: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , the Buffett Foundation , the Ford Foundation , the Turner Foundation , the Cullmans , and others. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's contributions to the organization have been specifically marked to avoid funding abortions. Some donors, such as the Buffett Foundation, have supported reproductive health that can include abortion services. Anti-abortion groups have advocated
3248-638: The Family Planning Services and Population Research Act , amending the Public Health Service Act . Title X of that law provides funding for family planning services, including contraception and family planning information. The law had support from both Republicans and Democrats . Nixon described Title X funding as based on the premise that "no American woman should be denied access to family planning assistance because of her economic condition." Donors to Planned Parenthood have included
3364-529: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the sale of the original birth control pill , giving rise to new attitudes towards women's reproductive freedom . Also during his presidency, Planned Parenthood lobbied the federal government to support reproductive health, culminating with President Richard Nixon 's signing of Title X to provide government subsidies for low-income women to access family planning services. The Center for Family Planning Program Development
3480-672: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , or ObamaCare. Planned Parenthood spends money on politics and elections through the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (its federal political action committee ), through its Super PAC, and through a variety of related 501(c)(4) entities. Planned Parenthood endorsed Obama in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. In the 2014 election cycle, Planned Parenthood spent $ 6,587,100 on contributions to candidates and political parties (overwhelmingly to Democrats) and on independent expenditures. Planned Parenthood regional chapters have been active in
3596-574: The Supreme Court 's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022). The majority of the Comstock Act is found in sections 1461 through 1463 of chapter 71, title 18 of the United States Code . The rest of chapter 71, title 18, United States Code, consists of various provisions from the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act of 1988 and the PROTECT Act of 2003 . The first of
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3712-409: The federal poverty level . Services for men's health include STI testing and treatment, vasectomy procedures, and erectile dysfunction services. Education is available regarding male birth control and lowering the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Planned Parenthood won the 2020 Webby Award for Machine Learning and Bots for their Sex Education chatbot. PPFA has two national offices in
3828-730: The first birth control clinic in the U.S. in the Brownsville section of the New York borough of Brooklyn . They distributed birth control, birth control advice, and birth control information. All three women were arrested and jailed for violating provisions of the Comstock Act , accused of distributing obscene materials at the clinic. The so-called Brownsville trials brought national attention and support to their cause. Sanger and her co-defendants were convicted on misdemeanor charges, which they appealed through two subsequent appeals courts. While
3944-403: The Act stand as it had been written. Due to its age, the Comstock Act has been referred to by some commentators, in publications such as MSNBC and Slate , as a "zombie law". However, the Act remains just as effective as does any other federal law unless repealed or amended. The doctrine of desuetude (a common law concept that a law is repealed by implication if it has not been used in
4060-548: The American courts. Several cases in which Planned Parenthood has been a party have reached the U.S. Supreme Court . Notable among these cases is the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey , the case that sets forth the current constitutional abortion standard. In this case, "Planned Parenthood" was the Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter, and "Casey" was Robert Casey , the governor of Pennsylvania . The ultimate ruling
4176-555: The Comstock Act (18 U.S.C. § 1462) applies to both the U.S. mail and a common carrier and has been upheld on Commerce Clause grounds, as opposed to Postal Clause grounds, with United States v. Orito (1973) illustrating this. In a separate 1973 case, the Supreme Court would similarly uphold Sec. 305. of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1305) as a valid exercise of authority under the Commerce Clause. The broad language used in
4292-448: The Comstock Act has, mostly in the years since the Dobbs decision, lead to some opining that the Comstock Act, particularly 18 U.S.C. § 1461, is unconstitutionally vague. However, the understanding built by the surrounding case law has been largely dismissive of vagueness challenges. For instance, in Hamling v. United States (1974), the Supreme Court would uphold section 1461 by adopting
4408-452: The Comstock Act's initial passage, the Act's application to obscenity has been upheld against an array of First Amendment challenges. As an example, in Roth v. United States (1957), a case partially superseded by Miller v. California (1973) as to the particular test used, the Supreme Court upheld the Comstock Act against a First Amendment challenge. In One, Inc. v. Olesen (1958), decided as
4524-406: The Comstock Act, the term indecent is defined in the text as including "matter of a character tending to incite arson, murder, or assassination". This distinct definition has been narrowed by court rulings to a synonym for obscene. The term obscene is not defined in the actual text of Comstock Act, nor is it defined in the text for much of any of U.S. obscenity law, but the Miller test provides
4640-501: The Comstock Act. While an earlier version did exist, as Sec. 5. of the Act for the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use, the modern version was initially enacted under Sec. 305. of the Tariff Act of 1930 and is currently codified (in a non-positive law title) at section 1305 of title 19, United States Code . It presently provides that: All persons are prohibited from importing into
4756-542: The Criminal Code Act of 1909. A violation of this section carries a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine, or both as a penalty. This section has no sentence enhancement for prior offenses, unlike section 1461 or 1462. There is one section of the Comstock Act found in title 18, United States Code, which is outside chapter 71. This is 18 U.S.C. § 552 ,and pertains to customs officials acting as principal to certain activity. For abortion-related matter, this section applies to
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4872-745: The Margaret Sanger Award annually to honor, in their words, "individuals of distinction in recognition of excellence and leadership in furthering reproductive health and reproductive rights." In the first year, it was awarded to four men: Carl G. Hartman, William Henry Draper Jr. , Lyndon B. Johnson , and Martin Luther King ;Jr. Later recipients have included John D. Rockefeller III , Katharine Hepburn , Jane Fonda , Hillary Clinton , and Ted Turner . The services provided by PPFA affiliates vary by location, with just over half of all Planned Parenthood affiliates in
4988-685: The National Director D. Kenneth Rose , the PPFA expanded its programs and services through the 1940s, adding affiliate organizations throughout the country. By the end of World War II, the Federation was no longer solely a center for birth control services or a clearing house for contraceptive information but had emerged as a major national health organization. PPFA's programs included a full range of family planning services including marriage education and counseling, and infertility services. The leadership of
5104-608: The Obama administration issued a rule effective in January 2017 banning U.S. states from withholding federal family-planning funds from health clinics that give abortions, including Planned Parenthood affiliates; this rule mandates that local and state governments give federal funds for services related to sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy care, fertility, contraception, and breast and cervical cancer screening to qualified health providers whether or not they give abortions. However, this rule
5220-455: The PPFA, largely consisting of businessmen and male physicians, endeavored to incorporate its contraceptive services unofficially into regional and national public health programs by emphasizing less politicized aspects such as child spacing. During the 1950s, the Federation further adjusted its programs and message to appeal to a family-centered, more conservative post-war populace, while continuing to function, through its affiliated clinics, as
5336-480: The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the president of PPAF, Cecile Richards , testified before Congress in September 2015 that she did not manage the organization. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund has 58 active, separately incorporated chapters in 41 states and maintains national headquarters in New York and Washington, D.C. Planned Parenthood has received grants from the Obama administration to help promote
5452-418: The Tariff Act of 1930) making an explicit 'illegal intentions' distinction, the fact that the majority of decisions adopting an 'illegal intentions' construction are from United States courts of appeals (that only bind to courts in that particular circuit), and the non-legally-binding nature of historical revision notes in the U.S. Code (unlike statutory notes which do have force of law). Margaret Sanger ,
5568-527: The U.S. mail, a common carrier, or an interactive computer service. In terms of differences to the previous section, section 1462 deviates in that its scope expands to cover the use of a common carrier or interactive computer service. Section 1461 only applies to the U.S. Mail , but section 1462 covers both that and a private package delivery service such as United Parcel Service or Federal Express . An interactive computer service generally includes an internet website . Another difference of 18 U.S.C. § 1462
5684-429: The U.S. performing abortions. Services provided by PPFA include birth control and long-acting reversible contraception ; emergency contraception ; clinical breast examinations ; cervical cancer screening ; pregnancy testing and pregnancy options counseling ; prenatal care ; testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections ; sex education ; vasectomies ; LGBT services; and abortion . Contrary to
5800-534: The U.S. until the 1960s. By 1941, it was operating 222 centers and had served 49,000 clients. In 1923, Sanger opened the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau (BCCRB) for dispensing contraceptives under the supervision of licensed physicians and studying their effectiveness. Some found the ABCL's title offensive and "against families", so the League began discussions for a new name. In 1938,
5916-607: The United States from any foreign country any book, pamphlet, paper, writing, advertisement, circular, print, picture, or drawing containing any matter advocating or urging treason or insurrection against the United States, or forcible resistance to any law of the United States, or containing any threat to take the life of or inflict bodily harm upon any person in the United States, or any obscene book, pamphlet, paper, writing, advertisement, circular, print, picture, drawing, or other representation, figure, or image on or of paper or other material, or any cast, instrument, or other article which
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#17328552902936032-456: The United States. Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) struck down a contraception-related Comstock-style law in Connecticut . However, Griswold only applied to marital relationships. Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972) extended its holding to unmarried persons as well. In 1971, the U.S. Congress removed the reference to contraceptives from the federal-level Comstock Act, but left much the rest of
6148-418: The United States. It partners with organizations in 12 countries globally. The organization directly provides a variety of reproductive health services and sexual education, contributes to research in reproductive technology and advocates for the protection and expansion of reproductive rights . Research shows that closures of Planned Parenthood clinics lead to increases in maternal mortality rates. PPFA
6264-755: The United States: one in Washington, D.C. , and one in New York City . It has three international offices, including a hub office in London, England . It has 68 medical and related affiliates and 101 other affiliates including 34 political action committees. These affiliates together operate more than 700 health centers in all 50 states in the U.S. plus the District of Columbia . PPFA owns about $ 54 million in property, including real estate. In addition, PPFA spends
6380-524: The abortion issue today. For much of the organization's history, however, and throughout Sanger's life, abortion was illegal in the U.S., and discussions of the issue were often censored. During this period, Sanger – like other American advocates of birth control – publicly condemned abortion, arguing that it would not be needed if every woman had access to birth control. Following Margaret Sanger, Alan Frank Guttmacher became president of Planned Parenthood, serving from 1962 until 1974. During his tenure,
6496-503: The addressee is a manufacturer or trader in contraceptives, a physician , a nurse , a pharmacist , a hospital , or a clinic . This provision was ruled unconstitutional in Bolger v. Youngs Drug Products Corp (1983), as-applied to business mailings, due to an as-applied First Amendment challenge. Concerning the definitions used in the Comstock Act, there are three key definitions: indecent, obscene , and knowingly . For purposes of
6612-543: The allowable limitations on rights protected under the Constitution—from the other statutory requirements. Dissenting were William Rehnquist , Antonin Scalia , Clarence Thomas , and Byron White . Blackmun, Rehnquist, and White were the only justices who voted on the original Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 who were still on the Supreme Court to rule on this case, and their votes on this case were consistent with their votes on
6728-481: The approval of mifepristone was improper, the lifting of REMS restrictions was improper, and the Comstock Act of 1873 made providing medication abortion by mail illegal. This ruling by judge Kacsmaryk conflicted with an opposing same day ruling issued by a U.S. district court in Washington (state) . The ruling by Kacsmaryk was criticized in the Washington Post as using cherry picked scientific data, presenting
6844-405: The assumption of some, Planned Parenthood conducts cancer screenings but does not provide mammograms , although Planned Parenthood physicians do refer their patients to other outside clinics where they can get mammograms. In 2013, PPFA reported seeing 2.7 million patients in 4.6 million clinical visits. Roughly 16 percent of its clients are teenagers. According to PPFA, in 2014
6960-478: The boycott of donors to Planned Parenthood. Corporate donors include CREDO Mobile . In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, total revenue was $ 1.3 billion: non-government health services revenue was $ 305 million, government revenue (such as Medicaid reimbursements) was $ 528 million, private contributions totaled $ 392 million, and $ 78 million came from other operating revenue. According to Planned Parenthood, 59 percent of
7076-450: The breach was a ransomware attack. The organization did not say if they paid the ransom or if the perpetrators made any demands. There was no indication as to who was responsible for the hack. The Metropolitan Washington branch of Planned Parenthood was also hacked in 2020 with donor and patient information compromised, including dates of birth, social security numbers , financial information, and medical data. In 1966, PPFA began awarding
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#17328552902937192-521: The case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (2022). This decision devolved regulation of abortion back to the states, overturned Roe v. Wade (1973) along with its progeny, and ended the recognition of abortion access as an implied constitutional right. Consequently, the applicability of the Comstock Act to abortion-related articles has become subject to legal dispute. Much of this dispute has arisen concerning mifepristone , an antiprogestogen and antiglucocorticoid drug. Mifepristone
7308-401: The case of Becky Bell , who died following an illegal abortion rather than seek parental consent for a legal one. Planned Parenthood also takes the position that laws requiring parental notification before an abortion can be performed on a minor are unconstitutional on privacy grounds. The organization opposes laws requiring ultrasounds before abortions, stating that their only purpose
7424-473: The case, United States v. One Package of Japanese Pessaries (1936), that the Comstock Act was not to be construed as interfering with practice of medicine. This holding was in line with the previously mentioned conclusion of the Supreme Court in Linder that "[o]bviously, direct control of medical practice in the states is beyond the power of the federal government", so while the federal government could prohibit
7540-401: The convictions were not overturned, the judge who issued the final ruling also modified the law to permit physician-prescribed birth control. The women's campaign led to major changes in the laws governing birth control and sex education in the United States. In 1921, the clinic was organized into the American Birth Control League , the core of the only national birth-control organization in
7656-614: The country. Planned Parenthood was one of the founding members of the International Planned Parenthood Federation when it was launched at a conference in Bombay (now Mumbai), India , in 1952. In 1961, the population crisis debate, along with funding shortages, convinced PPFA to merge with the World Population Emergency Campaign, a citizens' fund-raising organization to become PPFA-World Population. Both Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger are strongly associated with
7772-409: The courts have overturned such actions, citing conflict with federal or state laws; in others the federal executive branch has provided funding in lieu of the states. In some states, Planned Parenthood was completely or partially defunded. In August 2015, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal attempted to end Louisiana's contract with Planned Parenthood to treat Medicaid patients at a time when there
7888-572: The effect of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 which, among other things, added 'dealing in obscene matters' as a predicate offense for purposes of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 (RICO) . It was initially believed by some scholars that this modification to RICO would get struck down as an unconstitutional burden on First Amendment protected conduct. Nine years after that modification
8004-435: The extent implicating procurement of abortion. This section, currently codified in a positive law title, was first enacted as Sec. 4. of an Act for the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use. There are four elements to an offense under this section. First, one must be either an officer, employee, or agent of the United States. Second, one must knowingly aid or abet any of
8120-404: The federal government", historical jurisprudence of the Comstock Act in regard to prosecuting delivery of drugs and devices hinged on determining whether a purported use, such as for abortion or contraception , was outside the scope of accepted professional practice in the state of delivery or receipt, and thereby punishable under the Comstock Act. An area of interest to legal scholars concerned
8236-412: The founder of Planned Parenthood , was charged in 1915 for her work The Woman Rebel . Sanger circulated this work through the U.S. postal service, violating the Comstock Act. On appeal, her conviction was reversed on the grounds that contraceptive devices could legally be promoted for the cure and prevention of disease. Her husband, architect William Sanger , was similarly charged earlier that year under
8352-659: The group's revenue is put towards the provision of health services, while non-medical services such as sex education and public policy work make up another 15 percent; management expenses, fundraising, and international family planning programs account for about 16 percent, and 10 percent of the revenue in 2013–2014 was not spent. Planned Parenthood receives over a third of its money in government grants and contracts (about $ 528 million in 2014). By law ( Hyde Amendment ), federal funding cannot be allocated for abortions (except in rare cases), but some opponents of abortion have argued that allocating money to Planned Parenthood for
8468-582: The importer's knowledge, bulk abortion-related materials not intended for unlawful use, classic books of recognized merit when permitted by the Secretary of the Treasury , and lottery tickets printed in Canada after 1993 for use in lotteries within the United States. The last section of the Comstock Act is found at 39 U.S.C. § 3001 in subsection (e), and it declares that unsolicited contraceptives are non-mailable unless
8584-420: The laws which criminalized abortion, and it played a key role in creating a movement for the reform of abortion laws in the U.S. Focusing, at first, on legalizing therapeutic abortion , Planned Parenthood became an increasingly vocal proponent of liberalized abortion laws during the 1960s, culminating in its call for the repeal of all anti-abortion laws in 1969. In the years that followed, the organization played
8700-458: The lottery circular law and the original provision of the Comstock Act (18 U.S.C. § 1461) as being valid exercises of Congressional authority under the Postal Clause . This holding concerning the Comstock Act's initial provision was reaffirmed in later cases like Roth v. United States (1957), United States v. Reidel (1971), and Smith v. United States (1977). The 1909 amendment to
8816-501: The mail, anything specified. The following is a brief summary of the matters covered: There are a number of implications with these specifics listed in 18 U.S.C. § 1461. First, as summarized in points 1, 2, and 3 above, this section outright criminalizes activities related to the mailing of three categories of objects and to this extent has been upheld as constitutionally valid by the Supreme Court. Second, as summarized in point 4 above, this section criminalizes activities related to
8932-501: The mailing of contraceptives outside the course of professional practice, or tax drugs as it had with the Harrison Act at issue in Linder, it was not of the liberty to cast the judgment that a use, otherwise accepted by relevant state medical authorities, was nonetheless beyond the realm of legitimate professional practice, as regulation of medical practice is addressed at the state level in
9048-496: The mailing of information providing as to from who, where, what, or how an article, already criminalized from being mailed outright, may be obtained or made. Although it holds little precedential value, as it was a decision by a United States district court, this provision was ruled unconstitutional (for being overbroad ) in United States v. Goldstein (1976). Third, laws prohibiting conveyance of material providing information on
9164-517: The medical community" and dropped all of the remaining criminal charges. In all, the Planned Parenthood clinic had faced 107 criminal charges from Kline and other Kansas prosecutors, all of which were ultimately dismissed. In 2006, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that Planned Parenthood was not required to turn over its medical records in an investigation of possible child abuse. In 2005, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota
9280-459: The mifepristone REMS disproportionately posed a barrier to abortion access by members of marginalized groups . Beginning in 2016 and expanded in 2021, the FDA removed much the restrictions imposed by the REMS requirements. This action by the FDA decreased barriers to mifepristone access, so mifepristone has since became more common as an abortion medication in the United States. Following the outcome in
9396-459: The more reliable source of contraceptives in the country. From 1942 to 1962, PPFA concentrated its efforts on strengthening its ties to affiliates, expanding public education programs, and improving its medical and research work. By 1960, visitors to PPFA centers across the nation numbered over 300,000 per year. Largely relying on a volunteer workforce, by 1960 the Federation had provided family planning counseling in hundreds of communities across
9512-484: The most current definition used by courts when judging obscenity. The Miller Test has three prongs which are as follows: For reference, under the Model Penal Code , a guide often used to assist in legislative drafting, the knowingly criminal knowledge requirement, the second most stringent behind purposely , is defined as follows: "A person acts knowingly with respect to a material element of an offense when...he
9628-447: The most recent conviction under the Act being made in 2021). In spite of its contentious nature, something that has throughout the years spawned a variety of legal challenges on enumerated powers doctrine , vagueness doctrine , First Amendment grounds , etc., the Comstock Act has thus far been widely upheld as constitutional. The Comstock Act does not criminalize obscenity, criminal incitement, or abortion directly but it criminalizes
9744-473: The motivation for seeking the records. In 2006, Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline , a Republican, released some sealed patient records obtained from Planned Parenthood to the public. His actions were described as "troubling" by the state Supreme Court, but Planned Parenthood was compelled to turn over the medical records, albeit with more stringent court-mandated privacy safeguards for the patients involved. In 2007 Kline's successor, Paul J. Morrison ,
9860-487: The need for medically accurate information in sex education , Planned Parenthood opposes abstinence-only education in public schools. Instead, Planned Parenthood is a provider of, and endorses, comprehensive sex education , which includes a discussion of both abstinence and birth control. Planned Parenthood's advocacy activities are executed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund , which is registered as
9976-415: The nine charges being brought forth under 18 U.S.C. § 1462, was that of Thomas Alan Arthur, a Texas man who was sentenced in 2021 to 40 years in federal prison for his role as the operator of an internet site which acted as a paid repository of obscene writings and drawings pertaining to child sexual abuse. According to FBI agent Roger Young, the Comstock Act and other federal obscenity laws were initially
10092-526: The nonpartisan political advocacy arm of PPFA. It engages in educational and electoral activity, including legislative advocacy, voter education, and grassroots organizing to promote the PPFA mission. Feldt also launched the Responsible Choices Action Agenda, a nationwide campaign to increase services to prevent unwanted pregnancies , improve the quality of reproductive care, and ensure access to safe and legal abortions. Another initiative
10208-513: The only tools available for federal authorities to prosecute child pornography: All along [my career], I had some national and international child pornography cases and cases involving child prostitution. But when I [first] began working child pornography cases early in 1977, there were no child porn laws. We [the FBI] used obscenity laws to prosecute child porn. This change in enforcement, from general obscenity to an emphasis on child sexual abuse material,
10324-555: The organization provided 3.6 million contraceptive services, 4.5 million sexually transmitted infection services, about one million cancer related services, over one million pregnancy tests and prenatal services, over 324,000 abortion services, and over 100,000 other services, for a total of 9.5 million discrete services. PPFA is well known for providing services to minorities and to poor people; according to PPFA, approximately four out of five of their clients have incomes at or below 150 percent of
10440-571: The original decision that legalized abortion. Only Blackmun voted to maintain Roe v. Wade in its entirety. Planned Parenthood v. Casey , along with Roe v. Wade , was eventually overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022. Other related cases include: Some state attorneys general have subpoenaed medical records of patients treated by Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has gone to court to keep from turning over these records, citing medical privacy and concerns about
10556-475: The particular effect of section 1461 as applied to FDA-approved drugs. On June 13, 2024, the Supreme Court unanimously held that the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine did not have standing (no plaintiff suffered a concrete and particularized injury-in-fact) sufficient to bring the case, and thereby the Supreme Court avoided a direct ruling on whether the Comstock Act applies to mifepristone or whether mifepristone
10672-537: The procurement of legal abortion were ruled unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds in Bigelow v. Virginia (1975). As far as illegal abortion procurement is concerned, that is criminal solicitation and the First Amendment affords no constitutional protection. It has been noted in one scholarly article that successful prosecution for criminal solicitation of abortion under this Act would be difficult as nothing in
10788-477: The provision of other medical services allows other funds to be reallocated for abortions. A coalition of national and local anti-abortion groups have lobbied federal and state governments to stop funding Planned Parenthood. As a result, federal and state legislators have proposed legislation to reduce funding levels. Eight states—Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Utah—have enacted such proposals. In some cases,
10904-409: The reference to contraceptives, historical interpretation has generally construed this as applying to articles intended for unlawful abortion, reconciling it with Sec. 305. of the Tariff Act of 1930, which does make such a distinction. Moreover, as the Supreme Court held, in Linder v. United States (1925), that "[o]bviously, direct control of medical practice in the states is beyond the power of
11020-452: The seventh largest charity in the country, providing services to four million clients each year through its 170 affiliates, whose activities were spread across 50 states. From 1996 to 2006, Planned Parenthood was led by Gloria Feldt . Feldt activated the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF), the organization's political action committee , launching what was the most far-reaching electoral advocacy effort in its history. The PPAF serves as
11136-432: The specified offenses (importing, advertising, dealing, exhibiting, sending, or receiving). Third, the knowing aiding or abetting by an officer, employee, or agent of the United States must implicate use of the mail. Fourth, the offense must implicate any of the matters specified. These are summarized below: In addition to the criminal importation provisions under section 1462, there is also a civil forfeiture provision of
11252-499: The statute flows directly from the decisions in Hamling , Miller , Reidel , and Roth . As construed in Hamling , the type of conduct covered by the statute can be ascertained with sufficient ease to avoid due process pitfalls. Similarly, the possibility that different juries might reach different conclusions as to the same material does not render the statute unconstitutional. United States v. 12 200-ft Reels of Film (1973) and United States v. Thirty-Seven Photographs (1971) adopted
11368-415: The text specifies which of the laws on either end of the solicitation govern the legality, nor whether state or federal law would govern. The second of the three primary sections of the Comstock Act is codified in a positive law title at section 1462 of chapter 71, title 18, United States Code. It was initially enacted under Sec. 211 of the Criminal Code Act of 1909 on March 4, 1909. The punishment for
11484-520: The three sections of the Comstock Act which are contained under chapter 71, title 18, United States Code, is section 1461 . This is the initial Comstock Act provision, as currently amended, and it was first enacted as an extraneous rider under Sec. 148 of an Act to revise, consolidate, and amend the Statutes relating to the Post-office Department. The punishment for violating section 1461 is either
11600-441: The thus mentioned Dobbs decision, various actors in the anti-abortion movement began efforts in a campaign of litigation (explained in further detail below) and passing ordinances, citing the Comstock Act in the process, with the ultimate goal being restricted access to mifepristone, and abortion more broadly, in the United States. In March 2023, the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an anti-abortion group founded in 2022, filed
11716-539: The title PPFA . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=PPFA&oldid=933063209 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. ( PPFA ), or simply Planned Parenthood ,
11832-410: The use of the mail, a common carrier, or an interactive computer service in the conveyance of these materials. Since abortion pills like mifepristone are used in over 50% of American abortions, the Comstock Act has been the focus of increased legal, political, and media attention as actors in the U.S. anti-abortion movement seek to utilize it to restrict abortion access in the United States following
11948-531: Was also founded as a semi-autonomous division during this time. The center became an independent organization and was renamed the Guttmacher Institute in 1977. Planned Parenthood began to advocate abortion law reform beginning in 1955, when the organization's medical director, Mary Calderone , convened a national conference of medical professionals on the issue. The conference was the first instance of physicians and other professionals advocating reform of
12064-619: Was an epidemic of sexually transmitted infections in Louisiana. Planned Parenthood and three patients sued the state of Louisiana, with the United States Department of Justice siding with Planned Parenthood. On February 2, 2016, the U.S. House failed to override President Obama's veto of H.R. 3762 (Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015) which would have prohibited Planned Parenthood from receiving any federal Medicaid funds for one year. Late in 2016,
12180-476: Was barred from mailing by the Comstock Act and that FDA approval of mifepristone did not change this. The case was later appealed from the Fifth Circuit to the Supreme Court. During oral arguments before the United States Supreme Court on March 26, 2024, regarding the regulatory status of mifepristone, Justice Samuel Alito asked Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar about the Comstock Act,
12296-488: Was blocked by a federal judge the day before it would have taken effect. In 2017, it was overturned by new legislation. The proposed American Health Care Act ( H.R. 1628 ), announced by Congressional Republicans in March 2017, would have made Planned Parenthood "ineligible for Medicaid reimbursements or federal family planning grants." On August 19, 2019, Planned Parenthood voluntarily withdrew from Title X funding due to
12412-478: Was decided over a "technicality". Ex parte Jackson (1878) was the first case brought before the Supreme Court of the United States that considered the constitutionality of the Comstock Act. While primarily pertaining to a facial challenge mounted against a federal law barring the mailing of lottery items, the Court nonetheless made reference to the Comstock Act. In doing, the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed both
12528-539: Was fined $ 50,000 for violating a Minnesota state parental consent law. In 2012, a Texas state court judge, Gary Harger, denied Planned Parenthood's request for a temporary restraining order against the State of Texas , concluding that the State may exclude otherwise qualified doctors and clinics from receiving state funding if the doctors or clinics advocate for abortion rights. Comstock laws The Comstock Act of 1873
12644-423: Was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000, and this approval was accompanied by a REMS requirement that imposed restrictions on its access. These restrictions were imposed for largely political reasons, and mifepristone is safe and effective for both supervised use in medication abortion , as well as self-administration in self-managed medication abortion . The restrictions imposed by
12760-501: Was made to RICO, this concern would be answered as the Supreme Court, in Alexander v. United States (1993), upheld, against a First Amendment challenge, a RICO forfeiture pertaining to obscenity. There has been scholarly analysis, using a textualist framework, which argues that the historical framing of the Act in the context of abortion is ill-supported due to nothing in the Comstock Act's text (other than that resurfaced as Sec. 305. of
12876-420: Was partially stayed and some of the claims presented were thrown out, although a sizable portion of Kacsmaryk's ruling emerged unscathed. The challenges to mifepristone's initial approval were barred, but the challenges to the lifting of REMS restrictions were allowed to go forward. In the appellate review, circuit judge James C. Ho dissented from the majority and argued, like judge Kacsmaryk, that mifepristone
12992-525: Was properly approved. Reproductive healthcare experts such as physician Daniel Grossman considered the case outcome a narrow reprieve, expressing disappointment that it even made it before the Supreme Court in the first place, and remarking "[m]ifepristone and medication abortion are broadly in the crosshairs of the anti-abortion movement". Legal counsel representing the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine were unimpressed, with chief counsel Erin Hawley claiming it
13108-511: Was removed as president of Planned Parenthood by the organization's board of directors on July 16, 2019. Alexis McGill Johnson , a board member and former chairwoman, became the organization's acting president. In October 2021, a hacker gained access to the data network of the Los Angeles branch of Planned Parenthood and obtained the personal information of approximately 400,000 patients. On December 1, 2021, The Washington Post reported that
13224-422: Was split, and Roe v. Wade was narrowed but upheld in an opinion written by Sandra Day O'Connor , Anthony Kennedy , and David Souter . Harry Blackmun and John Paul Stevens concurred with the main decision in separately written opinions. The Supreme Court struck down spousal consent requirements for married women to obtain abortions, but found no "undue burden"—an alternative to strict scrutiny , which tests
13340-547: Was the commencement of a "Global Partnership Program", to build a vibrant activist constituency in support of family planning. On February 15, 2006, Cecile Richards , the daughter of former Texas governor Ann Richards , and formerly the deputy chief of staff to the U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (the Democratic Leader in the United States House of Representatives ), became president of the organization. In 2012, Richards
13456-526: Was voted one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World . Richards' tenure as president of the organization ended on April 30, 2018. Current Planned Parenthood board member Joe Solmonese was appointed as transition chair to temporarily oversee the day-to-day operations of Planned Parenthood after Richards' departure. On September 12, 2018, the organization announced that Leana Wen would take over as president, effective November 2018. Wen
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