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Catholic World News News Feature

Supreme Court rejects challenge to contraceptive mandate October 02, 2007

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from religious groups challenging a New York state law that requires all employers to subsidize birth-control costs for their workers.

The New York law, which mandates the inclusion of contraceptive coverage in employees' health-care insurance, provides an exemption for churches. But that exemption does not extend to schools, hospitals, and other institutions, even if they are administered by churches.

The New York office of Catholic Charities, which is bound by the new legislation, challenged the law in court, arguing that the mandate infringed on the organization's religious freedom. Baptist, Adventist, and Orthodox Jewish groups joined in the appeal.

"If the state can compel church entities to subsidize contraceptives in violation of their religious beliefs," the plaintiffs argued in their appeal, "it can compel them to subsidize abortions as well. And if it can compel church entities to subsidize abortions, it can require hospitals owned by churches to provide them."

An appeals court in New York rejected the challenge, ruling unanimously against the coalition of religious groups. On October 1, the US Supreme Court declined a petition to hear the case, thus letting the appeals-court ruling stand.

At least 20 other American states have laws similar to the New York statute, requiring employers to include contraceptive expenses in health-care coverage.