Rust v. Sullivan

The petitioner-doctors challenged the Public Health Service Act, a federal law that prohibited receivers of Title X funds from using those funds to provide abortion related services, including counselling and family planning advice. The petitioners argued that the law violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights to free speech and due process. The District Court granted summary judgment in favor of upholding the law, and the Second Circuit Court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court agreed with both courts, holding that the government was not constitutionally obligated to subsidize abortion services. The court reasoned that the law did not encroach on women’s rights to receive abortions because women could still seek information regarding those services from organizations that did not receive Title X funding

Topics

• Abortion and reproductive health rights

Geographical location

• North America
• United States

Keywords

• constitutional rights
• state actor
• state responsibility

Year

• 1991

External URL

• Rust v. Sullivan

Court

• Supreme Court of the United States

Type

• Domestic Case Law

Jurisdiction

• United States