Overview

• Judge Wendy Beetlestone struck down the 2018 rules that allowed employers with religious or moral objections to bypass ACA contraceptive coverage requirements.
• The court found HHS overstepped its authority by issuing a blanket exemption lacking a rational connection to its stated aims, breaching the Administrative Procedure Act.
• The ruling declined to address constitutional claims under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, leaving those issues for future appellate review.
• The Little Sisters of the Poor, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, announced plans to appeal the district court decision.
• The dispute is poised to advance to the U.S. Court of Appeals and could return to the Supreme Court for a definitive ruling on the exemptions.