The New York State Court of Appeals has ruled that the Diocese of Albany must provide its employees with insurance coverage for abortion.
A regulation imposed by the state’s Department of Financial Services in 2017 compels most employers to offer abortion and contraceptive coverage with no copayments. The regulation became law in 2022.
The diocese argued that the religious exemption in the regulation was too narrow. The court, according to Reuters, ruled that the regulation “did not violate religious employers’ freedom because both the rule and its religious exemption were neutral and generally applicable to all employers.”
The diocese vowed to appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court.