A Trump administration rule that allows health-care workers to deny care based on their religious and moral beliefs is invalid, the Southern District of New York said Nov. 6.
The Health and Human Services Department acted outside its rulemaking authority when it adopted the conscience protection rule, and the rule is contrary to the law, the court said. Congress didn’t delegate authority to the HHS to make substantive rules regarding the enforcement of laws regarding religious conscience protections, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York said.
The rule was to take effect Nov. 22.