This 2016 decision struck down a Texas law designed to shut down abortion clinics with medically unnecessary regulations. The regulations included requiring doctors to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals no less than 30 miles away from the clinic and required every health care facility offering abortion to meet specific building specifications. Both of these requirements would have forced 9 out of 10 clinics in Texas to close.
The Supreme Court struck down the law in a 5-3 decision, stating that the laws were arbitrary and not necessary for a functioning abortion clinic. Additionally, only having 1 abortion clinic in the state of Texas would make it extremely difficult for women in rural areas to get abortions, while the remaining clinic would not be able to meet the demand.