Crisis pregnancy centers that don't offer or refer clients to abortion services or birth control services should say that on signs posted at their facilities, says Austin City Council Member Bill Spelman , who proposed an ordinance Friday that would require such centers to do so.

Austin would be the second city nationwide to pass such a law; Baltimore was the first.

Spelman said in a statement Friday that such centers provide free or low-cost pregnancy tests, adoption counseling and financial assistance for women with unplanned pregnancies. However, they aren't licensed to provide health care, don't offer abortions and birth control services, and often fail to tell clients that those services are available elsewhere, he said.

Spelman's proposal, which the council will consider Thursday , would require such centers to display two , 8.5- by 11 -inch signs at the entrance of their facilities. The signs would say: "This center does not provide abortions or refer to abortion providers. This center does not provide or refer to providers of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved birth control drugs and medical devices."

One sign would have to be in English and one in Spanish, and both would have to have a font size of at least 48 points. Failure to comply would be a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by fines of up to $450 per offense.

The ordinance, which is co-sponsored by council members Laura Morrison and Mike Martinez , is not meant to compel centers to offer or explain services they don't believe in, Spelman said. "It is about truth in advertising and providing accurate information to women seeking urgent medical information and resources. It is a consumer awareness issue," he said.

The ordinance would only apply to three or four crisis pregnancy centers in Austin, said Sara Cleveland , executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas . It would not affect Planned Parenthood facilities or city or state health clinics that already offer information or referrals about a full range of options for unplanned pregnancies and contraception, she said.

Cleveland said her organization called or sent interns and volunteers to three crisis pregnancy centers in Austin seven times in the past year. The women told center staffers they might be pregnant and said they wanted to learn about their options , she said. The centers all initially said they would advise the women about a range of options, then gave misleading information about abortions, tried to dissuade clients from seeking abortions and would not provide referrals for abortions or birth control services, she said.

"Many (centers) are using deceptive and manipulative tactics that prevent women from making fully informed choices about their reproductive health," Cleveland said.

The directors of two of those centers — the South Austin Pregnancy Resource Center and the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center — said Friday that posting signs would not be necessary because they already clearly inform clients that they don't offer abortion services and that they promote alternatives such as adoption or parenting. Both said their centers' volunteer staff members will discuss abortion if clients want to.

They also said they give clients the State of Texas booklet, "A Woman's Right to Know," which discusses abortion and other issues related to unplanned pregnancy. Both centers said they are Christian faith-based nonprofits funded only by private donations, not public money. Their services are free, and all of the center staff members — except for the directors — are volunteers.

"We are not trying to deceive anyone," said Lore Cottone , executive director of the South Austin Pregnancy Resource Center . "The first thing we have clients do is intake paperwork, and one form they sign states that we don't provide or refer (clients) to abortions."

Lori Devillez , executive director of the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center , said that center's staff members are upfront about the fact that they counsel clients mostly about options other than abortion.

However, "If (a client) is looking at getting an abortion, we'll discuss that with them and use the booklet, so they can see the risks. But then we move on to, 'Have you looked at parenting or adoption?' And most of the time they'll say they have but didn't think they have the support they need. And we let them know what services we offer," such as referrals to prenatal care or parenting classes, she said.

Devillez and Cottone said their centers don't advise clients about birth control services because they think that should be done with a doctor or medical professional.