Patriot Brief

  • What Happened: New York has surrendered its nearly decade-long effort to force religious institutions, including nuns and Catholic dioceses, to cover abortions in employee health insurance plans.
  • Why It Matters: The Supreme Court's ruling in Catholic Charities Bureau made victory for religious liberty advocates a foregone conclusion, forcing the state to finally give up.
  • Bottom Line: Becket Fund senior counsel said New York's "disgraceful campaign" to strong-arm nuns into paying for abortions has finally ended after years of legal battles.

After nearly a decade of trying to force nuns to pay for abortions, the state of New York has finally surrendered.

For years, New York tried to make religious institutions, including churches and Catholic dioceses, cover so-called "medically necessary" abortions in employee health insurance plans. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany fought back, challenging the state's mandate all the way to the Supreme Court.

In June 2025, the Supreme Court vacated a lower court judgment against the plaintiffs and ordered the case to be reconsidered in light of its precedent in Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission. In that ruling, handed down in February, the nation's highest court unanimously determined that Catholic Charities should not have been denied a religious exemption from state taxes.

The Supreme Court's decision did not end the case immediately, but it made victory for religious liberty advocates a foregone conclusion. Now, Becket has announced that New York has officially given up, closing the case and protecting nuns, Catholic dioceses, and other Christian organizations from being forced to pay for abortions.

"For nearly a decade, New York bureaucrats tried to strong-arm nuns into paying for abortions because they serve all those in need," Becket senior counsel Lori Windham said. "At long last, the state has given up its disgraceful campaign. This victory confirms that the government cannot punish religious ministries for living out their faith by serving everyone."

Windham continued, "The Supreme Court has made it abundantly clear that religious groups shouldn't be bullied for staying true to their faith. We are glad that New York finally agreed to settle this case and protect religious objectors from discrimination."

This is a massive victory for religious liberty. For nearly 10 years, New York tried to force nuns to violate their deeply held religious beliefs by paying for abortions. They failed. The Supreme Court sided with religious freedom, and New York had no choice but to back down.

The victory follows another rebuke of New York officials in December, when a federal appeals court ruled against Attorney General Letitia James's efforts to stop crisis pregnancy centers from promoting progesterone to reverse chemical abortions.

However, New York remains a stronghold for abortion-on-demand. Last month, Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an enhancement of the state's "shield law" for abortion and gender transition practices, making it even harder for investigators from other states to obtain information about New York abortionists who help break pro-life laws elsewhere.

New York lost this battle. But the fight for life is far from over.