Bioethics Public Policy Report: June 9, 2026
State by State
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has appealed the decision of the state’s highest court that found the state ban on Medicaid-funded abortions unconstitutional. For further information, click here.
The Minnesota state legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill, entitled the “Stop Harms From Addictive Social Media Act,” that will require social media platforms to obtain verified parental consent before children under the age of 16 may create an account. The Minnesota Catholic Conference applauded the passage of the bill in a public statement that can be found here. To read the bill, click here. For further information, click here.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law that will require college campuses to provide access to chemical abortion drugs starting August 2027 if the school has a pharmacy on campus. The law provides an exemption for faith-based colleges, but there are no conscience protections for individuals. To read the bill, click here. For further information, click here and here.
Gov. Polis also signed into law a bill that will allow those who underwent conversion therapy to sue for damages as a medical malpractice claim. The law defines such therapy as “any practice by a licensed mental health professional that seeks to direct a patient toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity outcome, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of a particular sex or gender.” To read the law, click here. For further information, click here.
A Florida state court denied Planned Parenthood’s motion to dismiss the state’s lawsuit against it for false advertising of chemical abortion drugs, thus allowing the case to proceed to trial. For further information, click here.
Federal Courts
Washington state agreed to a permanent injunction against its law requiring prospective foster parents to be supportive of gender ideology as part of a settlement of a federal lawsuit challenging the law. Specifically, the injunction will allow religious families objecting to gender ideology based on their sincerely held beliefs to act as foster homes. For further information, click here.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition for writ of certiorari in USCCB v. O’Connell, a case that pertains to whether the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops misled donors as to the annual Peter’s Pence papal collection. This means that the case will continue to trial. The Court did not explain why the petition was denied. For further information, click here.
National
In response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule proposal on the overlap between hospice and medical aid in dying (MAID), the NCBC and colleague agencies submitted a public comment with their recommendations. To see the HHS’s rule proposal, click here. To read the public comment, click here.
The Washington Nationals could be under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for religious discrimination. This follows the release of a video taken by an undercover journalist which shows an executive who stated that the team would not put starting pitcher Trevor Williams on the team’s social media because of his comments criticizing the Los Angelos Dodgers for mocking the Catholic faith. For further information, click here.
The Charlotte Lozier Institute released a detailed report detailing how pro-abortion organizations are violating federal and state laws to ship chemical abortion drugs like mifepristone around the country. To read the report, click here.
Outgoing Commissioner Stephen Schneck of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom gave an interview with EWTN detailing the growing problems of religious liberty worldwide. In the Commission’s 2026 report, it noted 18 countries of particular concern with respect to religious liberty. To read the report, click here. For further information, click here.
International
The Family Council of the Polish Bishops' Conference issued a statement in defense of the nation’s constitutional definition of marriage following the issuance of same-sex “marriage” licenses in Poland. The Court of Justice of the European Union directed the nation to issue the licenses in recognition of legally valid licenses in other European Union member states in a recent decision. To read the bishops’ statement, click here.
The High Court of Bangladesh has banned determination and disclosure of the sex of unborn children as discriminatory and harmful to women, thus being in violation of the nation’s constitution. While abortion is generally banned except to save the life of the mother in Bangladesh, nevertheless 1.58 million are performed annually, often selectively based on the sex of the unborn child. For further information, click here.
Of Note
Pope Leo XIV gave papal audiences discussing the importance of the common good in governance of society and the fertility crisis in European nations. For further information, click here and here.
Costa Rica’s new president, Laura Fernández, began her term with a Mass at the nation’s basilica and entrusted the government to the care of Our Lady of the Angels. For further information, click here.
Canadian pro-life activist Jim Hughes passed away May 18 at the age of 82. Hughes was president of the Campaign Life Coalition for 34 years and worked even in his retirement advocating for pro-life causes. For further information, click here.
Vice President J.D. Vance gave the commencement speech for the Air Force Academy graduation, where he warned that “decisions over life and death must be made by humans and not machines,” referencing Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. For further information, click here.
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