More groups sue over HHS religious liberty rules

Two more organizations sued the federal government Tuesday to block conscience protection rules President Donald Trump announced for religious healthcare workers last month. The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association and Public Health Solutions Inc. filed suit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in federal court in New York. The suit was filed by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York ACLU and joins similar suits filed by other groups, including Planned Parenthood, and by nearly two dozen states and municipalities.

The new HHS rules include one that protects doctors and nurses who object to participating in abortions, assisted suicides, or sterilizations. Another removes “gender identity” as a component of sex discrimination in healthcare, rolling back an Obama-era rule that effectively required Christian healthcare workers to support or perform sex change operations. The rules also set up compliance standards for healthcare organizations and make it easier for the HHS Office of Civil Rights to investigate and prosecute religious discrimination cases.