Bioethics Public Policy Report: February 18, 2025
STATE By State
In Delaware, a bill is making its way through the legislature to legalize “medical aid in dying” (MAID) in the state. Last legislative session, the bill narrowly passed a vote but was vetoed by then-Gov. John Carney. The Diocese of Wilmington has issued an “Action Alert,” calling on citizens to contact their legislators to oppose the bill, which can be found here. For further information, click here.
In New York, the state government is pushing its pro-abortion and pro-transgender policies in light of recent developments across the nation. Specifically, this follows President Trump’s executive order barring the use of federal funding for transgender procedures on children and Louisiana’s prosecution of a New York doctor for the prescription of chemical abortion drugs across state lines. New York has called the freeze on federal funding illegal and has filed a lawsuit claiming such, and Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation allowing doctors to prescribe chemical abortion drugs anonymously to prevent prosecution. For further information, click here, here, and here.
In Indiana, a decision dismissing a Notre Dame professor’s case for defamation against the Irish Rover was upheld. Students writing the article had stated that the professor was offering assistance to students seeking abortions. The court said that there was no “genuine issue of material fact,” as “The Irish Rover’s two articles were written in good faith and . . . the alleged defamatory statements were not false.” For further information, click here.
In Missouri, the state’s law requiring facility licensing has been blocked, meaning that abortions will resume statewide as litigation pends on the legality of the law, per the state constitution. Missouri Republicans are continuing their efforts to reimpose the abortion ban. For further information, click here.
The Catholic Conference of Ohio has voiced its support of a bill introduced to both legislative houses that would prohibit the use of state funds for the intentional termination of human life at any stage. For further information, click here.
In Illinois, DuPage County has voted to remove the name of the deceased pro-life U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde from the county courthouse. Rep. Hyde sponsored the Hyde Amendment, a federal law barring the use of federal funds for abortion. For further information, click here.
Federal Courts
Several faith groups, 19 states, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have submitted amicus briefs to the Supreme Court asking them to recognize Catholic Charities as a religious organization following the Wisconsin supreme court’s decision which deemed its activities as “primarily secular.” For further information, click here.
In a letter to the Supreme Court, the Trump administration’s DOJ has dropped the lawsuit against Tennessee regarding its statewide ban on transgender procedures for children but has asked that the Supreme Court still render a decision on the matter to resolve the legal issue for other states facing similar lawsuits. To read the letter, click here. For further information, click here.
A federal court judge in Maryland blocked the Trump administration’s ban on the use of federal funds for the purposes of transgender procedures on children, pending litigation. The judge signaled belief that President Trump exceeded the authority of his executive power by the executive order. The block on the executive order will remain in effect as a restraining order for about two weeks, by which time the challengers plan to file for a preliminary injunction, which would delay the enforcement of the executive order until the end of the litigation. For further information, click here.
national
The Trump administration has scrubbed federal websites of transgender language. Many sites have entirely done away with any resources referring to “LGBTQI+” people, but many have shortened the list to “LGB.” In a similar vein, President Trump signed another executive order banning biological men from competing in women’s sports, resulting in the NCAA issuing a ban in accordance with the order. President Trump received the praise of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for this executive order. For further information, click here, here, and here.
In accordance with President Trump’s executive order, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has issued a memorandum banning individuals whose “gender identity” does not match their biological sex. Sec. Hegseth said that “split[ting] our troops along lines of identity weaken our Force and make us vulnerable.” To read the memorandum, click here. For further information, click here.
President Trump signed another executive order, “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias,” establishing a task force “to protect the religious freedoms of Americans and end the anti-Christian weaponization of government,” which he announced at the National Prayer Breakfast. Attorney General Pam Bondi is to lead the task force in investigating “all executive departments and agencies.” To read the executive order, click here. For further information, click here.
international
Vice President J.D. Vance spoke at the IRF Summit, addressing the Trump administration’s plans for promoting religious freedom in the United States and around the world. He addressed the misuse of USAID taxpayer funds “to NGOs that are dedicated to spreading atheism all over the globe” and stated that “it ends with this administration.” For further information, click here.
Again, at the IRF Summit, United States Commission on International Religious Chairman Stephen Schneck called for sanctions against countries which violate religious freedom in a panel titled, “Rallying Behind the CPC Designation: Enhancing Collaboration for Greater Impact.” He cited the need for “actionable consequences on the ground” to effect real change in the realm of religious freedom worldwide. For further information, click here.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has received criticism from left-leaning politicians for splitting an “end-of-life" bill into two separate bills, one addressing only palliative care and the other addressing “active assistance in dying.” In explaining this decision, Bayrou stated that these two matters “are not the same questions.” For further information, click here.
of note
Pope Francis has been hospitalized with bronchitis, and he has asked for prayers from the faithful, especially in this time of illness. For live updates on his condition, click here.
On the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, Pope Francis issued a message in opposition to human trafficking with the hope of assisting victims of trafficking and prevention in the future. The USCCB also issued a statement against human trafficking, “urging policymakers at all levels of government to pursue meaningful responses to this moral outrage.” To read Pope Francis’ message, click here. To read the USCCB’s statement, click here.
In First Things magazine, several Catholic thinkers have issued a declaration on the need for governing principles to ensure that recently developed technologies are in accordance with fostering family life. Specifically, they expressed their belief “that public policy should direct technology toward the flourishing of the family and the human person” with ten guiding principles for policymakers to consider in our times. For further information, click here.
Google has removed default references to Gay Pride Month, which recently gained attention, but has apparently been in place since mid-2024. Google explained that they “returned to showing only public holidays and national observances from timeanddate.com globally, while allowing users to manually add other important moments.” For further information, click here.
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The National Catholic Bioethics Center website is a significant resource for bioethics information. NCBC bioethicists are also on call for consultation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, at 215-877-2660.
Justin Corman
Justin Corman is a guest editor at the NCBC, and a student at Ave Maria School of Law.