Bioethics Public Policy Report: January 20, 2026
State by State
Wisconsin’s supreme court ruled against the state in a second attempt to tax Catholic Charities for being insufficiently religious for tax purposes. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled in favor of Catholic Charities in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission, and, in response, the state asked the state supreme court to allow the state to remove the exemption entirely, which it denied in its recent ruling. For further information, click here.
The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico enacted a law that recognizes unborn children, “at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb,” as legal persons under Puerto Rico’s Civil Code. The law does not affect abortion directly, as following the overturn of Roe v. Wade it was determined that abortion would be governed by the Penal Code, but it does set an important legal precedent for future pro-life legislation. For further information, click here.
A legislator in Arizona introduced a bill that would require priests to violate the seal of the confessional in cases where there is “reasonable suspicion” abuse of a minor “may occur in the future.” To read the bill, click here. To track the bill, click here. For further information, click here.
Federal Courts
The Little Sisters of the Poor have filed another appeal against New York and Pennsylvania in their 14-year long legal battle over government contraception mandates. Oral arguments on the appeal are expected to take place early this year. For further information, click here.
Catholic and Orthodox Christian groups have filed an amicus brief in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the court to strike down an Illinois law that requires those who refuse to perform abortions as a matter of conscience to explain the “benefits” of abortion to their patients. To read the amicus brief, click here. For further information, click here and here.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2–1 decision blocking Michigan’s “conversion therapy” ban on First Amendment free speech grounds and setting aside the lower court’s judgment in favor of the law. Specifically, the court noted that the law was impermissible viewpoint-based discrimination. The NCBC filed an amicus brief in a parallel case in Colorado, Chiles v. Salazar, which has been heard before the U.S. Supreme Court pending a decision. To read our amicus brief, click here. For further information, click here.
Massachusetts has dropped a regulation requiring acquiescence to gender ideology as a condition for participating in the state’s foster care program. This comes after the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a federal lawsuit in September of last year on behalf of two families, whose religious liberty rights were being impacted, who sought to participate in the state’s program, challenging the regulation. For further information, click here.
After a federal judge in California issued a permanent injunction against a California Department of Education policy that allowed schools to hide children’s gender “transitions” from their parents, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the injunction. The Thomas More Society filed an emergency application to the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate the injunction. Two Christian teachers had brought the lawsuit in opposition to specific policies that required them to conceal such “transitions” from their students’ parents on the basis that it compelled them to violate their religious beliefs by lying. For further information, click here and here.
The Moody Bible Institute filed a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Board of Education for excluding it from its student teaching program unless the Institute were to yield its right to hire only those who share its religious mission. The Alliance Defending Freedom, representing the Institute, argues that the exclusion of the Institute violates its constitutional rights. For further information, click here.
In a unanimous decision, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of Yakima Union Gospel Mission in a case turning on whether it could hire non-ministerial applicants based on faith and lifestyle. The decision comes almost five years after Yakima Union filed a lawsuit challenging Washington’s state laws which forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. For further information, click here.
National
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new proposed regulatory actions to end sex-rejecting procedures on minors in hospitals across the nation, specifically conditioning participation in Medicare and Medicaid on compliance with President Trump’s executive order from January 2025 calling for an end to such procedures. The executive order has been enjoined. The NCBC has filed an amicus brief in support of the executive order in Washington v. Trump. To read our amicus brief, click here. For further information, click here.
President Trump signed an executive order rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule III to a Schedule I drug, reducing criminal penalties and finding legitimate medical uses for the drug. While the federal ban is still in effect, some Catholics have voiced their concerns over disputed claims as to the medicinal and societal benefits of marijuana. For further information, click here.
The Department of Veterans Affairs issued a final rule reinstating its exclusion of abortions and abortion counseling from VA medical benefits packages, rescinding Biden-era coverage. The NCBC provided public comment in support of full exclusion of abortion, though a single exception to save the life of the mother was made in the new rule. To read our public comment, click here. To read the new rule, click here.
President Trump has asked Republican legislators to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortions, while Congress has been negotiating a deal to reinstate Affordable Care Act subsidies that expired at the end of last year. For further information, click here.
International
In Chile, conservative José Antonio Kast defeated communist candidate Jeannette Jara in the presidential election, garnering 58.2% of votes. Kast, a devout Catholic and pro-life and pro-marriage politician, won amid concerns of rising crime rates and illegal migration. For further information, click here.
The General Secretariat for Catholic Education in France issued a report detailing inspections of Catholic schools which have been criticized as excessive and intrusive. The report noted that schools were pressured to remove religious symbols, that teachers were asked extremely personal questions, and that students’ spiritual journals were documented by authorities, among other things. For further information, click here.
The European Parliament has enacted a resolution calling for a common abortion fund across the European Union that would allow each member-state to draw on funds according to public demand in each nation for abortion. Pro-life groups have warned against such a move as an incentive for European Union members to compete for the funds by promoting more abortions. For further information, click here.
Of Note
Students for Life of America has launched a national campaign to ask the Environmental Protection Agency to add the chemical abortion drug mifepristone to the list of “forever chemicals” polluting the water supply. For further information, click here.
Pope Leo made statements on the dangers of arms races and gambling addiction, as well as the need to focus on the good of individuals and families in labor systems. For further information, click here, here, and here.
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