Chames v. Wade

In Chames v. Wade, decided on August 7, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas statute that banned medication abortions after seven weeks of pregnancy and required in-person dispensing. Dr. Jane Chames, who operated clinics and provided telehealth services, challenged the law, arguing it violated patients' constitutional rights. The Court applied the undue burden test and found that the law significantly obstructed access to pre-viability abortions without adequate health justification. The 5-4 decision reversed the Fifth Circuit's ruling, reasserting the principle that states cannot ban medication abortion methods that are proven to be safe and effective, thereby protecting telehealth abortion services. This decision resolved a direct conflict among lower courts and had immediate implications for similar laws in other states.

The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 opinion authored by Justice Margaret Huang, held that the Texas law was unconstitutional, reversing the Fifth Circuit and permanently enjoining enforcement of the medication abortion ban.

Whether Texas's ban on medication abortions after seven weeks and its in-person dispensing requirement impose an undue burden on the right to terminate a pregnancy before viability, in violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The ruling restored access to medication abortion in Texas, solidifying legal protections for telemedicine abortion services. It sparked intense national debate, prompted legislative efforts in over a dozen states to either codify or further restrict the procedure, and reinforced the judiciary's role in assessing abortion restrictions under the undue burden framework.