Bioethics Public Policy Report: October 21, 2025
STATE By State
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that will allow pharmacists to distribute chemical abortion drugs anonymously to shield those who provide the drugs to persons out of state. For further information, click here.
The Catholic bishops of Virginia have put together resources for the upcoming election warning Virginians of pro-abortion and same-sex marriage constitutional amendments on the ballot. To see the website, click here. To read the bishops’ letter, click here.
A state court judge in Massachusetts has issued a preliminary injunction against the City of Quincy from installing two statues depicting Ss. Michael and Florian on the public safety building, citing that “the oversized overtly religious-looking statues have a primary effect of advancing religion.” For further information, click here.
A bill has been filed in the Florida legislature that would allow parents to sue for wrongful death of an unborn child, limiting liability for the mother and doctors engaged in lawful medical practice. The bill specifically defines an “unborn child” as “a member of the species Homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.” To read the bill, click here. To track the bill, click here. For further information, click here.
A Missouri judge has approved the language of a pro-life ballot measure that, if passed, would reinstate the near-total abortion ban that had been in place prior to the passage of a pro-abortion amendment. For further information, click here.
Federal Courts
A federal district court has awarded nominal damages to a Christian photographer in a case turning on a Louisville, Kentucky, nondiscrimination city ordinance. The City had contended that the photographer was required to provide her services for a same-sex wedding, which the court had denied in 2022. On appeal, the court again found for the photographer, this time awarding her nominal damages for the City’s attempted enforcement of the ordinance. For further information, click here.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments for a Colorado case involving the state’s ban on “conversion therapy,” which the challenging plaintiff alleges violates her First Amendment right to free speech. The Court signaled its skepticism of the constitutionality of the ban. For further information, click here.
The Supreme Court denied certiorari to a Native American group represented by the Beckett Fund that sought an injunction to prevent the destruction of a religious site for the construction of a copper mine. For further information, click here.
Washington state has permanently withdrawn its mandatory reporting law that would have required priests to violate the seal of the confessional, following lawsuits filed by the Catholic bishops of Washington and the U.S. Department of Justice. For further information, click here.
A network of pro-life pregnancy centers represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom is appealing a case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding a California law that would prevent them from advertising “abortion pill reversal” through supplemental progesterone. For further information, click here.
The State of Louisiana and a woman from Louisiana have sued the FDA for allowing physicians to prescribe chemical abortion drugs across state lines after the Louisiana woman was pressured into having an abortion by her boyfriend. For further information, click here and here.
In a judicial first, a federal court certified a class action lawsuit composed of parent and teacher plaintiffs suing the state for school district policies that keep the “gender transitions” of children a secret from parents. For further information, click here.
national
The U.S. Department of Education has an enforcement action against Fairfax County Public Schools over allegations of providing abortions for students. The Department gave the County until October 17 to provide a written response to its inquiries. For further information, click here.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin declined a Lifetime Achievement Award that the Archdiocese of Chicago had planned to give him in November following backlash from several Catholic bishops across the country. For further information, click here.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a public comment urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate “gender-affirming care” providers for false advertising. To read the comment, click here. For further information, click here.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a generic form of the abortion drug mifepristone. The move generated backlash from 51 Republican senators, who signed a letter calling on the FDA to rescind the approval as the FDA continues to review the safety of mifepristone in general, as well as from the USCCB, which also commented on the fact that the approval came as the FDA was reviewing mifepristone. To read the senators’ letter, click here. To read the bishops’ statement, click here. For further information, click here and here.
A New Jersey man was arrested outside of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., for possession of a Molotov cocktail during a Red Mass. The suspect is being investigated as a terrorist after authorities found an anti-Catholic manifesto on his person. For further information, click here and here.
Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced a bill that would ban abortion coverage under the Affordable Care Act. To read the bill text, click here. For further information, click here.
The Trump administration announced expansion of coverage for fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF). While pro-life leaders welcomed the administration’s expansion of other fertility treatments, they also criticized the inclusion of IVF in the expansion due to the grave moral concerns surrounding IVF. To read the White House announcement, click here. For further information, click here.
A recent study found that the number of young Americans identifying as transgender or non-heterosexual has been declining since 2023. To read the study, click here.
international
Uruguay became the first South American country to legalize euthanasia for seriously ill patients, with 20 of the 31 senators voting in favor. For further information, click here.
A United Kingdom bioethicist is warning that, if the nation’s assisted suicide bill passes in November, hospices may be forced to provide assisted suicide to retain government funding. For further information, click here.
A United Nations expert has called for a ban on surrogacy, stating that it is “characterized by exploitation and violence against women and children, including girls.” To read the expert’s report, click here. For further information, click here.
of note
Pope Leo issued his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, on the care of the poor. To read the document, click here.
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