Bioethics Public Policy Report: May 12, 2026
State by State
A Pennsylvania appellate court ruled that abortions must be covered under Medicaid at the state level, citing the state constitution, which posits a right to “reproductive autonomy.” For further information, click here.
A Wyoming state court judge blocked a fetal heartbeat law as litigation ensues over the legality of the law under the state’s constitution. The judge noted that there is a likelihood of success in challenging the law because of the constitutional provision that guarantees the right of individuals to make their own healthcare decisions. For further information, click here.
Federal Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of First Choice Women’s Resource Centers in a case challenging New Jersey’s subpoena of the organization’s donor lists. The decision reverses the lower court’s ruling that First Choice did not have standing to challenge the subpoena. For further information, click here.
The Supreme Court put an administrative stay on a temporary injunction by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that halted telehealth prescriptions of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone in a lawsuit between Louisiana and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For further information, click here, here, and here.
National
In response to a request of the National Institutes of Health for information on reducing reliance on embryonic stem cells in research, the NCBC and colleague agencies submitted a public comment detailing policy recommendations. To read the public comment, click here.
In a recent Senate committee hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called assisted suicide laws “abhorrent” and stated that “we can’t be a moral society around the globe if that becomes institutionalized throughout our society.” He indicated further that he would work to protect those with disabilities who might be targeted by the new assisted suicide laws being passed in many states. For further information, click here.
The Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias published a report entitled “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias within the Federal Government,” documenting numerous instances of anti-Christian discrimination by the previous administration. To read the report, click here. For further information, click here.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a letter to Congress voicing opposition to the bipartisan bill H.R. 8119, entitled the “HOPE with Fertility Services Act,” which would introduce a fine of $100 per day for any insurance company that does not include in vitro fertilization (IVF) in its coverage. To read the bishops’ letter, click here. To track the bill, click here. For further information, click here.
A bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03), entitled “The Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026,” which would ban dismemberment abortions, the most common form of abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy. For further information, click here.
The Environmental Protection Agency has launched a review into whether chemical abortion drugs are contaminating the water supply. For further information, click here.
Sen. Ted Cruz, alongside other legislators, introduced bill S.624, entitled the “Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act,” which would ban Title X funds from being granted to any entity that provides abortion, which would include Planned Parenthood. To track the bill, click here. For further information, click here.
International
Cardinal Frank Leo of Toronto has written a letter to the Canadian Parliament requesting their support of Bill C-218, the “Right to Recover Act,” which would restrict the country’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program from applying to those whose sole affliction is mental illness. The NCBC and colleague agencies also sent a letter in support of the bill, which can be found here. To track the bill, click here. For further information, click here.
The European Court of Justice ruled against Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ laws, which it called “contrary to the very identity of the Union as a common legal order in a society in which pluralism prevails.” Specifically, the court found that the law was in violation of the “founding values” of the European Union, as laid out in Article 2 of the European Union Treaty. For further information, click here.
Of Note
Pope Leo XIV is preparing a summit in October of this year on the global marriage crisis, focusing on the problems associated with cohabitation. For further information, click here and here.
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