Trump Religious Health-Worker Rule Strikes Out in Federal Courts

A Trump administration rule that threatens to strip health-care providers of federal funding if they require workers to provide services that go against their religious or moral beliefs is invalid, a federal judge in California said.

Judge William Alsup ruled Nov. 19 that the Health and Human Services Department exceeded its authority when it adopted a religious conscience rule designed to protect workers from retaliation by their employers.

The opinion echoes recent decisions from New York and Washington federal courts.

The rule conflicts with “the underlying statutes and is in conflict with the balance struck by Congress in harmonizing protection ...