The U.S. Supreme Court is pictured on June 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - Supreme Court justices on Monday decided not to hear arguments in a case about whether a Texas abortion ban conflicts with a federal emergency care law.
The decision allows a lower court ruling to remain in place. That decision blocked the Biden administration from requiring Texas hospitals to provide emergency abortion care or risk losing federal funding.
Texas, which has one of the country's strictest abortion bans, asked the justices to leave the order in place, saying the state Supreme Court ruling meant Texas law does have an exception for the health of a pregnant patient - meaning there is no conflict between federal and state law.
READ MORE: Texas women accuse hospitals of denying necessary care for life-threatening pregnancies
Doctors have said the law is vague after a medical board did not specify which conditions qualify for the exception. Pregnancy terminations have been a part of longtime medical treatment for patients with serious complications. Hospitals are not sure if standard care for those patients could violate the laws against abortion.
In Texas and other states, doctors and hospitals have said it's not clear if those terminations would violate the ban and could result in prison time.
Texas medical panel issues new guidelines for doctors but no specific exceptions for abortion ban
A Texas medical panel on Friday approved guidance for doctors working under one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans but refused to list specific exceptions to the law, which doctors have complained is dangerously unclear.
In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which led to abortion restrictions in many states, including Texas. The Biden administration issued guidance saying hospitals still needed to provide abortions in emergency situations.
READ MORE: Women who sued Texas over abortion law share stories in Dallas
Texas sued over that guidance, arguing hospitals can't be required to provide abortions that would violate the ban. In January, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the administration had overstepped its authority and sided with the state.