Sonia Sotomayor is a Supreme Court Justice that oversees the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (wikimedia/creative commons)

Or it would have been if the law hadn’t been blocked by Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, only hours before it was meant to take place. 

SEE ALSO: Employers Must Provide All Female Employees With Birth Control 

The mandate is part of President Obama’s health care law that is intended to ensure that all work-place organizations provide health insurance for employees that includes birth control coverage.

From NBC News:

“Sotomayor issued the stay at the request of an order of Catholic nuns in Colorado, the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged. They are part of a larger effort by Catholic-affiliated groups from around the nation to halt provisions of the Affordable Care Act that require companies — regardless of religious beliefs — to provide contraceptives to their employees.”

Sotomayor oversees the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Her decision came after an effort from Catholic-associated groups had made an attempt to stop various other sections of Obamacare from going into effect.

According to USA Today, “The government is "temporarily enjoined from enforcing against applicants the contraceptive coverage requirements imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," Sotomayor said in the order. She gave government officials until 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) Friday to respond to her order.”

One of the exceptions for the mandate to work in this type of situation, meant as a buffer for religiously affiliated hospitals, universities, and social service groups, is for insurers or health plan administrators to pay for birth control coverage and be reimbursed. 

SEE ALSO: Obama Offers Exemption On Birth Control Mandate

The problem, however, is that the nuns from The Little Sisters would have to sign an authorization form for their insurance to provide contraceptive coverage, which is just as much against their beliefs.

The White House has yet to give a statement in response to this decision.

Read the full story here. 

Reach Executive Producer Eric Parra here.