In a unanimous decision on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered New York’s highest court to reconsider its ruling that upheld a state mandate requiring religious employers to include abortion coverage in their health insurance plans.
The Court’s unsigned order in Diocese of Albany v. Harris directs the New York Court of Appeals to revisit the case in light of Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin, a recent decision affirming constitutional protections for religious organizations under the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause.
The case stems from a years-long legal challenge brought by a coalition of Catholic and Anglican nuns, dioceses, churches, and faith-based ministries. The groups argued that New York’s 2017 abortion coverage mandate forced them to act against their core religious beliefs regarding the sanctity of life.
