New York state has concluded a nearly ten-year effort aimed at requiring Catholic nuns and other religious organizations to finance abortions.
The Becket Fund for Religious Freedom announced on Tuesday that New York has reached a settlement after a protracted legal dispute over the state’s abortion mandate. This case, which reached the Supreme Court two times, involved plaintiffs from the Roman Catholic Diocese v. Harris case, encompassing groups of Catholic and Anglican nuns, various Catholic parishes, Christian churches, and faith-based social services.
“For almost a decade, state officials have sought to compel influential nuns to fund abortions based on the argument that their services are available to all.” said Lori Windham, a senior advisor at Becket and legal representative for the religious entities involved. “Finally, the state has put an end to this shameful initiative. This victory underscores the notion that the government cannot penalize religious organizations for adhering to their beliefs while serving the wider community.”
Back in 2017, New York implemented regulations that mandated employer health insurance to cover fetal death resulting from abortion. These regulations offered limited exemptions for specific religious groups dedicated to promoting religious values but did not extend protections to those with broader missions, such as aiding the less fortunate or employing individuals of various beliefs. This, understandably, led to objections from religious organizations.
The case made its way to the Supreme Court in 2021, where the Court directed the lower court to revisit the situation. When the case returned to the Supreme Court in June 2025, the justices ruled again in favor of the religious groups involved, referencing a recent decision that month favoring Catholic Charities, which compelled lower courts to reconsider the matter. Notably, the Supreme Court determined that Wisconsin had discriminated against Catholic Charities by denying tax-exempt status, which infringed on First Amendment rights.
Becket confirmed that the settlement officially concludes the case in New York.
“The Supreme Court has been clear that religious organizations should not face intimidation for staying true to their convictions.” Windham remarked. “We are relieved that New York State has agreed to settle and protect religious objectors from such discrimination.”
The case is Roman Catholic Diocese v. Harris, U.S. Supreme Court No. 24-319.
