Attorney General Jay Jones Files Amicus Brief Supporting Continued Access to Mifepristone as Case Returns to Fifth Circuit

Attorney General Jay Jones Files Amicus Brief Supporting Continued Access to Mifepristone as Case Returns to Fifth Circuit

RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jay Jones joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of the manufacturers of mifepristone in Louisiana v. FDA. In the amicus brief, the coalition urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to reject Louisiana’s request to reinstate overly burdensome and medically unnecessary requirements that are intended to prevent access to reproductive healthcare. This filing comes as the case returns to the Fifth Circuit for a merits determination after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed continued access to mifepristone in May 2026 while the litigation proceeds.

“Reproductive healthcare decisions are deeply personal and should be left to individuals, families, and their medical providers. That includes the medically-directed use of Mifepristone, which is a safe and potentially life-saving medication,” said Attorney General Jones. “As Republican states continue to attack access to reproductive healthcare, my office will fight to ensure that Virginians and their rights are protected.”

In the amicus brief, Attorney General Jones and the coalition argue that:

· Mifepristone is a safe and effective medication, as demonstrated by decades of research and clinical experience demonstrating its safety.

· The FDA’s decision to remove the burdensome and medically unnecessary dispensing requirement for mifepristone was supported by scientific evidence and helped expand access to medication abortion, particularly for people facing barriers like distance, cost, and limited provider availability.

· Reinstating the unnecessary dispensing requirement would harm States’ efforts to protect access to reproductive healthcare by creating unnecessary barriers for patients, straining healthcare systems, and limiting access to other essential services provided by reproductive health clinics, such as pre- and postnatal care, family planning, cancer screening, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and HIV.

· Louisiana seeks to improperly elevate the policy preferences of States that have banned or restricted abortion over the preferences of other States that have made the different but equally sovereign determinations to promote access to abortion care.

In filing this amicus brief, Attorney General Jones joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

Published on: July 24, 2026

###