Team,

On Wednesday, April 24, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case that has nationwide implications for the right to emergency abortion care for pregnant people.

The Court will consider whether state abortion bans trump a federal law that protects patient access to stabilizing emergency care. A patient's health should always come first, and for nearly 40 years, the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) has mandated that protection.

But now, that protection is in jeopardy.

Follow the Center for Reproductive Rights on social media to stay up to date on this and other critical cases.

EMTALA is more important than ever. Since the federal right to abortion was demolished, 14 states have banned abortion entirely... with Arizona soon to become the 15th. And on top of that, many states ban abortion as early as 6 weeks of pregnancy... with Florida joining that list soon.

States with abortion bans often have "exceptions" for pregnant people who experience life-threatening pregnancy complications. But if you followed the Center's work over the last year, you know these exceptions do not work. Pregnant people are still being turned away from life-saving emergency health care.

If the Supreme Court decides that state abortion bans can trump EMTALA, the already devastating landscape for reproductive rights in the U.S. will become even more nightmarish.

We're already seeing it in Idaho, where the Supreme Court has allowed the state's extreme abortion ban to override EMTALA while it considers this case. Two Idaho hospitals have closed their labor and delivery wards and OBGYNs are leaving the state in droves. In Idaho, Texas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, we're fighting on behalf of more than 30 people who were denied access to emergency abortion care and providers who face severe penalties for doing what they were trained to do.

Team, anti-abortion extremists are coming after health care in any way they can. Thanks to your continual support, the Center is fighting back.

Molly Duane
Senior Staff Attorney