On August 13, 2026, a federal district court ruled in Idaho that the 14th Amendment protects the right to abortion when a pregnant person’s life or health is seriously threatened, blocking Idaho from enforcing its abortion bans in those circumstances.
The ruling invalidates two Idaho laws to the extent that they prohibit doctors from providing abortion care to patients facing serious medical conditions, including mental health conditions that put them at risk of suicide or overdose.
Following a six-day trial in June, the court determined that abortion care to prevent serious and lasting harm to a pregnant person’s health is deeply rooted in American history and tradition. The decision is the first federal court ruling since the overturning of Roe in 2022 to recognize that the federal Constitution continues to protect abortion access in certain circumstances.
The case was brought by the Lawyering Project and Legal Voice on behalf of Dr. Stacy Seyb, an Idaho maternal-fetal medicine specialist who argues that the state’s abortion bans prevented him from providing necessary care to patients.
The court’s ruling is particularly significant for patients experiencing serious mental health conditions. Idaho’s abortion bans previously prohibited abortion even when a pregnancy places a patient at risk of death from self-harm.
According to Idaho’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee, mental health conditions were the most common underlying cause of pregnancy-related death in the state between 2018 and 2024.
While this is a win, it’s important to note that the ruling does not establish a broader constitutional right to abortion. The court declined to block Idaho’s abortion bans when a fetus has a life-threatening condition unless the condition also poses a serious threat to the pregnant person’s health.
The decision comes as Idaho voters prepare to consider Proposition 1 or the “Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act Initiative” in November. This would establish a broader right to reproductive freedom, including access to abortion before fetal viability. Proposition 1 would go into effect on and after January 1, 2027.
This ruling is an important step toward protecting pregnant people from the devastating consequences of abortion bans. No one should be forced to carry a pregnancy that places their life or health in serious danger, and no doctor should face criminal punishment for providing medically necessary care. Pregnancy people must be able to make decisions about their own bodies and health without government interference.
If you are an Idaho resident, make sure you are registered to vote to make your voice heard on Proposition 1 this November!
