Attorney General Seeks to Block Rules that Limit Birth Control Access

Attorney General Russell A. Suzuki joined a coalition of Attorneys General in filing an amended complaint and a motion for preliminary injunction in federal court in State of California, et al v. Alex Azar, II, et al.

The filing moves to block the Trump Administration’s new final rules that filers say would deny millions of women and their families access to cost-free birth control by allowing employers to interfere with their healthcare decisions.

The final rules, which are set to go into effect on Jan. 14, 2019, would jeopardize the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that employers provide coverage of all 18 FDA-approved birth control methods and counseling for employees and their covered dependents with no out-of-pocket costs.

To date, 62 million women across the country have benefited from these reproductive health services.

“Access to birth control and reproductive health services guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act must be protected,” said Attorney General Suzuki.

Led by California Attorney General Becerra, the amended complaint and motion for preliminary injunction was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. This action builds on the multi-state coalition’s successful opposition to the Trump Administration’s interim final rules.

On Dec. 21, 2017, the Attorneys General secured a nationwide preliminary injunction halting the implementation of the interim final rules. On Dec. 13, 2018, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the lower court’s ruling.

In filing the amended complaint and motion for preliminary injunction, Attorney General Suzuki is joined by the Attorneys General of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

The motion for preliminary injunction is available online.