Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, No. 19-4254
Case status: Resolved in favor of the plaintiffs
Center involvement: Amicus Curiae
Date of filing: May 12, 2020

New York and several other states challenged an HHS rule expanding conscience protections for health care professionals and medical facilities that objected to performing abortions, assisted suicide, and other controversial procedures. This rule was based, in part, on two pieces of legislation—the Coats-Snowe Amendment and the Weldon Amendment—that protect the conscience rights of healthcare workers. The Center’s brief, written on behalf of the legislators who sponsored those amendments, former Sen. Dan Coats and former Rep. David Weldon, explains the meaning of those provisions and how they support HHS’s actions to protect rights of conscience.

Court Filings:
Link to Brief of Amici Curiae Senator Daniel Coats and Representative David Weldon in Support of Defendants-Appellants and Reversal