Bioethics Public Policy Report: July 21, 2026
State by State
A ballot measure was just approved in Idaho that, if passed in the general election, would amend the state’s constitution to allow for abortion up until birth. Idaho law currently bans abortion by statute under the Defense of Life Act, which would be nullified if the measure were to pass. For further information, click here.
Federal Courts
The NCBC joined with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and others in an amicus brief filed in Louisiana v. FDA, a Fifth Circuit case where the state of Louisiana is seeking to strike down the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s rule allowing telehealth prescriptions of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone. To read the amicus brief, click here.
Legal counsel for the Little Sisters of the Poor argued in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals against Pennsylvania over the state’s requirement for employer insurance coverage of contraception and abortifacients. The current litigation follows a 15-year long battle beginning with federal regulations for the Affordable Care Act requiring such coverage, which several states have been attempting to implement after the federal rules were struck down. For further information, click here.
The First Circuit ruled that religious schools that receive public funding are required to comply with state anti-discrimination laws promoting gender ideology. The Catholic and Protestant schools that lost the case are considering an appeal to the Supreme Court. A similar case is already set to be decided by the Supreme Court in the fall, which is expected to have an impact on this case. For further information, click here.
A settlement has been reached in a federal lawsuit brought by pro-life pregnancy centers against Delaware for forcing the centers to post disclaimers on the premises and in advertisements stating that there is no licensed medical provider on staff directly supervising services provided. The settlement included an agreement not to enforce the law and the payment of $50,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs. For further information, click here.
National
Planned Parenthood regained access to federal funding after being barred for a year. The yearlong pause caused the closure of 30 facilities nationwide, but it is unclear whether there will be another attempt to defund Planned Parenthood before the midterms. For further information, click here.
Sen. Ted Budd introduced the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act, which, if passed, would codify President Trump’s Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Policy and thereby reinstate and expand the Mexico City Policy. The Mexico City Policy historically has been invoked to prevent the use of foreign aid for the promotion of abortion abroad, but this would extend the policy to encompass promotion of gender ideology and DEI. To read the bill, click here. For further information, click here.
The Institute for Family Studies released a report on the fertility rate of the nation, concluding that the population will likely peak at 366 million and begin declining in the 2080’s. To read the report, click here.
The NCBC and colleague organizations submitted a public comment to the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury in response to proposed rulemaking on establishing excepted benefits related to fertility. We proposed a definition for “infertility,” advocated for the use of restorative reproductive medicine and conscience protections, and opposed in vitro fertilization. To read the proposed rule, click here. To read the public comment, click here.
The NCBC and colleague organizations also submitted a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in response to proposed rulemaking on transparency and oversight in grants of federal funds. We asked for clarification on disparate impact, DEI, and abortion provisions in the proposed rule. To read the proposed rule, click here. For further information, click here.
International
In the United Kingdom, pro-life former-Member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe was murdered in her home. Counter-terrorism police are in charge of the investigation, and a suspect is in custody, but no further information has come to light. For further information, click here.
In Canada, a report by the Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) Oversight Unit indicated that there were thousands of errors in the administration of the MAiD program that required the government to follow up in 2024. For further information, click here.
In France, the National Assembly overrode the Senate to legalize physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. The law will allow for patients with a “serious and incurable illness” that “threatens life in an advanced or terminal stage” to opt for death either at their own hands or at the hands of a doctor. For further information, click here.
Of Note
Pope Leo XIV accepted the Liberty Medal of the National Constitution Center, releasing a message of acceptance on July 3, just before Independence Day. To read his message, click here.
Pope Leo also delivered a message to the AI for Good Global Summit, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the human person and indicating that his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas was “impelled by troubling accounts of the potential misuses of algorithms and by the loss of human agency in critical areas.” To read the whole message, click here.
A 23-year-old alumnus of Christendom College ran from San Diego, California, to St. Augustine, Florida, pushing a stroller to raise money for a pro-life pregnancy center in Front Royal, Virginia. For further information, click here.
Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly at the age of 71. Several pro-life groups paid tribute to him for his efforts in advancing pro-life policy. For further information, click here.
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The National Catholic Bioethics Center website is a significant resource for bioethics information. NCBC bioethicists are also on call for consultation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, at 215-877-2660.