A federal appeals court partly granted the Biden administration’s request to put on hold a Texas court ruling overturning FDA approval of the abortion pill, but allowed restrictions that were lifted since 2016 to be reinstated.

A divided three-judge panel of the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday declined the Justice Department’s bid for an emergency stay on the part of the order as it related to the changes the FDA made since 2016. The court agreed to expedite the appeal.

According to the ruling, the challenge to the 2000 approval of mifepristone appears to be barred by the statute of limitations, but the challenges brought to changes the FDA implemented since 2016, including allowing the delivery of the drug by mail and without follow-up visits to a doctor, are timely.

BenefitsPRO

Join BenefitsPRO

Don’t miss crucial news and insights you need to navigate the shifting employee benefits industry. Join BenefitsPRO.com now!

  • Unlimited access to BenefitsPRO.com - your roadmap to thriving in a disrupted environment
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
  • Exclusive discounts on BenefitsPRO.com and ALM events.

Already have an account? Sign In Now
Join BenefitsPRO

Copyright © 2023 ALM Global, LLC. All Rights Reserved.