The major Supreme Court rulings of 2024

What they ruled: While litigation on the issue continues in lower courts, hospitals in Idaho that receive federal funds must allow emergency abortion care to stabilize patients — even though the state strictly bans the procedure.

Why it matters: The Biden administration sees this case as one of the few ways it can protect abortion access in states that have banned the procedure since the overturning of Roe v. Wade two years ago. Idaho bans abortions unless necessary “to prevent the death of the pregnant woman,” while the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, known as EMTALA, requires hospitals to stabilize or transfer patients needing emergency care even if they are not at risk of death. The decision, issued a day after it was prematurely posted on the court’s website, is temporary, and does not settle the question of whether the federal law preempts strict state bans.

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