Wyoming Judge Halts New Six-Week Fetal Heartbeat Abortion Law
A Wyoming judge blocked a new six-week fetal heartbeat abortion law on April 26, 2026, preventing it from taking effect and pausing enforcement in the state, Fox News reported.
The order, issued by a state court, stops the measure that would have outlawed most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, about six weeks into pregnancy, Fox News said. The ruling leaves the law inactive while the case remains before the court.
The episode traces back to the recent passage of the measure in the Wyoming Legislature and the broader push by some states to enact so-called fetal heartbeat bans. Those laws typically trigger legal challenges because they bar abortion earlier than many patients know they are pregnant, a pattern noted in other states and coverage of this case by Fox News.
Litigation over the law is expected to continue in court, and the judge's block will keep the statute from being enforced until the legal questions are resolved.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, April 24, 2026, Judge Dan Forgey issued a temporary injunction against Wyoming’s Human Heartbeat Act.
- The law bans most abortions after detection of a fetal heartbeat, typically around six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions only for medical emergencies.
- Forgey found plaintiffs likely to succeed under Article 1, Section 38 of the Wyoming Constitution, which protects individuals’ healthcare decision-making.
- The injunction comes months after the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down two earlier abortion laws on similar constitutional grounds.
- Governor Mark Gordon signed the Human Heartbeat Act on March 9, 2026, despite warning it was a “likely fragile” legal effort.
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