Legal Definitions - Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, commonly known as the FACE Act, is a United States federal law enacted in 1994. Its primary purpose is to protect individuals seeking or providing reproductive health services from violence, threats, and physical obstruction.

Specifically, the FACE Act makes it illegal for anyone to:

• Use force, threaten to use force, or physically obstruct another person with the intent to injure, intimidate, or interfere with them because they are obtaining or providing reproductive health services.
• Intentionally damage or destroy property at a facility that provides reproductive health services.

This law applies to actions taken against patients, doctors, nurses, clinic staff, and any facility offering services such as abortion, contraception, or fertility treatments. Violations of the FACE Act can lead to criminal charges, civil lawsuits brought by victims, or civil action initiated by the U.S. Attorney General.

Examples of the FACE Act in action:

• Example 1: Physical Obstruction of Patients

  A group of individuals stands shoulder-to-shoulder directly in front of the main entrance of a family planning clinic, forming a human barrier that prevents patients from walking through the door to their scheduled appointments. They refuse to move, even when asked, causing several patients to miss their appointments for reproductive health consultations.

  This scenario illustrates a violation of the FACE Act because the individuals are using physical obstruction to interfere with patients attempting to access reproductive health services.

• Example 2: Threats Against a Provider

  An anonymous person repeatedly sends emails and social media messages to a doctor who performs abortions at a local clinic. These messages contain specific threats of physical harm to the doctor's family if they do not stop working at the facility, causing the doctor significant fear and distress.

  Here, the FACE Act would apply because the individual is using threats of force to intimidate and interfere with a provider of reproductive health services.

• Example 3: Damage to a Facility

  During the night, an individual breaks several windows, spray-paints derogatory messages on the exterior walls, and attempts to disable the security cameras at a women's health center that offers a range of reproductive health services, including prenatal care and contraception. The damage forces the clinic to close for repairs, disrupting patient care.

  This situation falls under the FACE Act because the individual intentionally damaged a facility that provides reproductive health services, interfering with its operation.