Becket Press Release
WASHINGTON – A diverse coalition of religious groups asked the Supreme Court late yesterday to block New York’s mandate forcing them to cover abortions in their employee health insurance plans. In Diocese of Albany v. Harris, a group of Anglican
and Catholic nuns, Catholic dioceses, Christian churches, and
faith-based social ministries initially sued over the mandate in 2017.
After New York courts declined to protect the religious institutions,
Becket and Jones Day asked the Supreme Court to step in. In 2021, the
Justices reversed the lower courts’ rulings and told them to reconsider
the case. However, the state courts ignored the Supreme Court and again
refused to protect religious organizations, leaving them no choice but
to return to the Supreme Court (Watch this short video to learn more).
When the New York State Department of
Financial Services initially proposed the abortion mandate, it promised
to exempt all employers with religious objections. However, after facing
pressure from abortion activists, New York narrowed the exemption to
cover only religious groups that primarily teach religion and
primarily serve and hire those who share their faith. This exception
does not apply to most religious ministries because they seek to serve
all people, regardless of faith. For example, the exemption doesn’t
extend to the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and their
Teresian Nursing Home because they serve the elderly and dying
regardless of religious affiliation.
“New York’s abortion mandate is so extreme
that not even Jesus, Mother Teresa, or Mahatma Gandhi would qualify for
an exemption,” said Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. “The Justices should exempt religious organizations once and for all so they can focus on caring for the most vulnerable.”
After New York courts refused to protect
religious organizations, the religious groups asked the Supreme Court to
take their case. In 2021, the Court reversed the unfavorable rulings
from New York state courts and told them to reconsider the case in light
of Becket’s landmark victory in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. Despite this, the state courts ignored Fulton, forcing the religious groups back to the Supreme Court once more to protect their freedom to serve according to their faith.
“Religious
groups in New York should not be required to provide insurance coverage
that violates their deeply held religious beliefs,” said Noel J. Francisco, partner-in-charge of Jones Day’s Washington office. “We
are asking the Court to protect religious freedom and make clear that
the mandate cannot be applied to this diverse group of religious
organizations.”
The Court will consider whether to hear the case later this fall.