Introduction

The Planned Parenthood Action FUND is an independent, separately incorporated 501(c) (4) non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization affiliated with Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties. The Action FUND is dedicated to protecting and advocating freedom of choice through educational activities and the promotion and endorsement of pro-choice candidates.


Electoral Activities Guidelines

Under federal law, a duly incorporated (c) (4) organization may devote up to 49% of its expenditures and activities toward electoral activities. Protecting reproductive freedom and access to reproductive health care through the election of pro-choice candidates is the primary goal of the Planned Parenthood Action FUND’s electoral activities. This Electoral Policy incorporates the legal requirements for (c) (4) organizations, the organizational requirements established by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the non-partisan philosophy of the Action FUND.

The Action FUND’s electoral activities must be conducted independently of candidates and candidate committees. In accordance with laws governing independent expenditures, the Action FUND cannot coordinate its electoral activities with candidates or candidate committees. The Action FUND may decide to support a pro-choice candidate through an endorsement or, alternatively, public recognition of a candidate’s pro-choice positions. In addition, the Action FUND may choose to oppose an anti-choice candidate by appropriate identification of the candidate’s anti-choice position.


Pro-Choice Criteria

Any candidate for elected or appointed office must at a minimum support:

1. The terms of Roe v. Wade and oppose any attempt to overturn Roe;

2. Public funding of abortion services, prenatal care, family planning, and other reproductive health care services for all who are eligible;

3. The right of minors to confidential family planning, abortion, prenatal care, and sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment services;

4. Comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality and HIV/AIDS education in public schools that is also medically accurate and free of racial, ethnic, and gender bias;

5. The provision of, or referral for, reproductive health care services by any health care entity that receives public funding for providing health care services;

6. The inclusion of all reproductive health care services, including abortion, in any health reform plan; and

7. The enactment of laws, and enforcement of existing laws, that protect reproductive health care providers, their staff and patients, and their families from the ongoing campaign of violence, intimidation, and harassment being waged against them.


Endorsement Criteria

To qualify for an endorsement, in addition to meeting the pro-choice criteria above, the candidate must:

1. Have engaged in specific activities which demonstrate a commitment to pro-choice positions;

2. Articulate how he or she intends to strengthen or expand access to reproductive health care, as appropriate for the candidate=s office and

3. Be a viable candidate.


Early Endorsement Policy

To qualify for an early endorsement the candidate must:

1. Meet all criteria for endorsement stated above

2. Have a demonstrated, consistent record of supporting our mission through extraordinary dedication and service to Planned Parenthood (See Procedures section below)



Other Endorsement Considerations

The Planned Parenthood Action FUND will endorse only one candidate for each open seat.

If two or more candidates for any given open seat are equally pro-choice, the Action FUND may decide not to endorse any candidate and, instead, communicate to voters the pro-choice views of all such candidates.

Pro-choice incumbents seeking re-election in local elections no longer enjoy a presumption that they will be endorsed in their re-election bid. Such incumbents must demonstrate how, during their previous term(s) of office, they have actively advanced or strengthened the cause of reproductive freedom and access to reproductive health care.

Candidates who have taken a leadership role in or have actively advocated for reproductive freedom and access to reproductive health care will be given priority in the endorsement process.

Other factors to be considered include, but are not limited to:

1. Whether the candidate will make choice and access to reproductive health care an issue in his or her campaign; and/or

2. Whether the Action FUND’s endorsement will be publicized in campaign literature.

In some circumstances, the Action FUND may endorse a candidate who does not meet every criterion outlined above.


Endorsement Policies and Criteria for Legislative Pro-Choice Candidates

1. Incumbent Endorsements – Incumbent members of the CA Legislature who were endorsed in the last election cycle by PPSBVSLO, must have a 100% voting record on the PPAC scorecard, must speak out publicly against Parental Notification, or other designated critical topics, and not have taken any contrary votes to be eligible for endorsement in the current election. No candidate questionnaire is required if the candidate meets this criteria.

2. Incumbent Early Endorsement - A CA Legislative incumbent who meets the above criteria and who has sponsored PPAC legislation and is an outspoken advocate for Planned Parenthood automatically qualifies for an Early Endorsement.

Endorsement Policies and Criteria for Congressional Pro-Choice Incumbents:

1. Incumbent Congressional Endorsements – Incumbent Members of Congress who were endorsed in the last election cycle by PPSBVSLO must have a 100% score on the PPAF Congressional Scorecard, must have been endorsed last cycle, must have spoken out publicly in opposition to Parental Notification, or other designated critical topics, and not taken any contrary votes to be eligible for a PPSBVSLO endorsement. No Candidate Questionnaire is required if the candidate meets this criteria.

2. Congressional Endorsements are done in conjunction with PPFA Membership guidelines that require all Planned Parenthood 501(c) (4) organizations to have a system in place for signing off on federal endorsements and making state or local endorsements.


* All 100% pro-choice incumbents in Congress are endorsed by Planned Parenthood Federal PAC. Candidate contributions are made from the PPAF Federal PAC.



Recognizing Candidates’ Pro-Choice Positions as an Alternative to Endorsement

In order to encourage pro-choice men and women to seek public office, the Action FUND has the option of publicly recognizing candidates’ pro-choice positions in a suitable manner.

To qualify for pro-choice recognition, a candidate must

1. Meet the pro-choice criteria listed in the “Pro-Choice Criteria” section above, and

2. Be a viable candidate

Non-Partisan Policy

The Action FUND recognizes that strong pro-choice candidates are not limited to any one political party and will strive to maintain a non-partisan balance in our endorsements.

Endorsement and Recognition Procedures

Candidates seeking the Planned Parenthood Action FUND’s endorsement or recognition are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the electoral policies available on request by mail or at http://www.actionfundppsbvslo.org, for downloading or otherwise obtaining the questionnaires relevant to their particular race, and for filling out and timely submitting all required materials to the Planned Parenthood Action FUND for consideration. (All questionnaires used to determine endorsements or recognition are available on the Action FUND’s website.)

In order to obtain an early endorsement, a candidate must complete and return the application materials no later than six weeks prior to the close of the filing deadline for the office the candidate is seeking. The specific deadline dates for each electoral race are posted on the Action FUND’s website.

Action FUND endorsements and recognitions are issued for the current election cycle only and are revocable at any time. Previously endorsed or recognized candidates must apply for endorsement or recognition each time they run.

Candidates seeking the Action FUND’s endorsement may be personally interviewed, as determined by the FUND’s Electoral Committee.

Candidates’ response to the questionnaires will be held in confidence; the responses of individual candidates will not be made public.