The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Wednesday in a case that will determine the constitutionality of Texas’ requirement that abortion facilities meet ambulatory surgery facility standards.
The law, passed in 2013, also includes provisions regulating the administration of abortifacients and mandates that abortionists acquire admitting privileges at local hospitals. Since its passage, 23 of the state’s 40 abortion facilities have closed. And depending on the outcome of the hearing, 10 more could close as well, NPR reported.
During the 90-minute hearing, the three-judge panel questioned whether the facility standards—which cover operating rooms, air filtration systems, and other standards typically applied to surgical centers—would increase women’s safety, The New York Times reported. But the judges also criticized a lower court ruling that struck down all the facility standards...