Judge blocks Trump contraception rules in 13 states, D.C.

On Sunday, a federal judge in California temporarily blocked Trump administration rules allowing more employers to opt out of giving workers free birth control from going into effect on Monday in 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Under the Affordable Care Act, employer insurance plans must provide workers with no-cost contraceptives, with religious groups that can show "sincerely held" objections able to opt out. In October 2017, the Trump administration announced it would let more employers opt out, including nonprofits, schools, and universities.

U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam said there are "serious questions" about whether the new rules violate the ACA. His order only applies to D.C. and the 13 states that are suing the administration over the rules: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. In a statement, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the ruling "stops another attempt by the Trump administration to trample on women's access to basic reproductive care."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.