A petition for certiorari (full text) was filed yesterday with the U.S. Supreme Court in Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany v. Harris, (Sup. Ct., filed 9/18/24). In the case New York's highest appellate court rejected a claim that the "religious employer" exemption to the state's requirement that health insurance policies cover medically necessary abortion services is too narrow. The exemption is only available to entities whose purpose is to inculcate religious values and that primarily employ and serve persons who share their religious tenets. Plaintiffs, which are religiously affiliated entities, contend that their free exercise rights are infringed because they do not meet the criteria for the exemption. (See prior posting.) Becket Fund issued a press release announcing the filing of the petition for review.
