Which case introduced the undue burden standard for abortion restrictions?

• A. Casey
• B. Lopez
• C. Hernandez
• D. Adarand

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how abortion restrictions are evaluated in constitutional terms. The undue burden standard looks at whether a law places a substantial obstacle in a woman’s path to obtaining an abortion before the fetus is viable. This standard was first introduced by Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. The Court kept the right to an abortion but moved away from Roe’s trimester framework to this more flexible test, focusing on the practical impact of the regulation rather than rigid scrutiny levels.

Under Casey, a regulation is permissible if it does not impose a substantial obstacle to the abortion decision. So while states can regulate abortion, they must ensure their laws don’t create that substantial barrier. The Court gave examples like waiting periods or required counseling as potentially valid, provided they don’t impose an undue burden. When a provision actually creates a substantial obstacle, it fails the test and is struck down.

The other cases mentioned involve different constitutional issues—such as racial classifications or federalism—and do not establish the undue burden standard for abortion restrictions.