On May 21, 2012, the Catholic Archbishop of Washington and several affiliated Catholic organizations filed a lawsuit in the District of DC against the Federal Government under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (42 U.S.C. § 2000bb), the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. § 706(2)), and the First Amendment. Plaintiffs, represented by private counsel, seek to enjoin enforcement of provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) extending universal contraception coverage in employer-sponsored private health insurance coverage. Plaintiffs contend that this mandatory contraception coverage violates their sincerely held religious beliefs.

On January 25, 2013, Judge Amy Berman Jackson granted defendants' motion to dismiss plaintiffs' claims for a lack of ripeness, as regulations regarding the contraceptive mandate are undoing review by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Wyatt Fore - 03/29/2013


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