The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked on Friday a Louisiana law that would require abortionists to get admitting privileges in nearby hospitals.
In its decision, the court, with only Justice Clarence Thomas dissenting, suspended the Feb. 24, 2015 decision of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which put on hold an earlier decision by a federal court blocking the Louisiana law.
"Consistent with the Court's action granting a stay in Whole Woman's Health v. Cole, No. 14A1288 (June 29, 2015), the application to vacate the stay entered by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on February 24, 2016, presented to Justice Thomas and by him referred to the Court, is granted and the Fifth Circuit's stay of the district court's injunction is vacated," the Supreme Court's brief order read.
The law was signed by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal in June 2014.
The decision came as the Supreme Court is tackling a similar case in Texas.
"For the third time in a little over a year, the Supreme Court has stepped in to preserve women's ability to get the constitutionally protected healthcare they need," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The High Court is debating whether states that impose abortion laws put an unconstitutional burden on women seeking to end pregnancies.
Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel Alito Jr. defended the Texas law, which also requires admitting privileges for abortionists, but decided on Friday to suspend the Louisiana measure.
Texas and Louisiana and seven other states have imposed laws requiring abortionist doctors to have admitting privileges in hospitals, with lawmakers saying that this would ensure consistent health care for a patient who experiences medical emergency.
In Louisiana, the law would close all but one abortion clinics in the state as most hospitals refused to grant admitting privileges to doctors who practice abortions.
After the Court of Appeals lifted the federal court's order against the law, two abortion clinics said they would no longer see patients while the other one said it expected to close down as well.
Pro-abortion advocates filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court and with the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, Thomas will hear appeals from the Fifth Circuit.
Lawyers said if the admitting privilege rule is enforced, Louisiana will be left with one abortion doctor who "cannot meet the need for approximately 10,000 abortions in Louisiana, a need that was previously met by six physicians in five clinics across the state."
