Timeline: Milestones in legal fight over 2013 Texas abortion law

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a challenge by abortion providers to a Texas law requiring physicians performing the procedure to have admitting privileges at local hospitals and clinics to meet certain hospital-grade standards. Following is a timeline of that challenge. July 2013 - The Republican-led Texas legislature passes and Republican Governor Rick Perry signs the law known as H.B. 2, putting new requirements on abortion providers. State officials say the law is intended to ensure the health and safety of women. September 2013 – Before the law is enforced, Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers challenge the measure, asserting that certain provisions, including the one related to doctors' admitting privileges, were aimed at decreasing the availability of abortion in the state. October 2013 – A U.S. district judge sides largely with the challengers, blocking the admitting privileges provision. March 2014 - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reverses the lower court and permits much of the law to take effect. April 2014 – Whole Woman's Health and other abortion providers bring a new complaint against Texas, citing the effect of the law's implementation and the number of clinics that have closed. The challengers focus on the admitting-privileges requirement and clinic standards. August 2014 – A U.S. district court judge declares the admitting privileges and clinic requirements an unconstitutional burden on women's access to abortion. October 2014 - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit intervenes to allow implementation of both new regulations, but the U.S. Supreme Court blocks part of the order so that the mandate that clinics meet hospital-grade standards for surgeries does not go into effect. June 2015 - After considering the full merits of the challenge, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit reverses the district judge's decision, finding the judge should have deferred to the legislature's stated health and safety goals. The appeals court also says most of the lawsuit should have been barred because the legal issues it raised already were addressed in the case filed by Planned Parenthood. June 2015 - The U.S. Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote puts a temporary hold on the 5th Circuit's ruling while the justices consider whether to hear the challengers' appeal. That action blocks the clinic regulation regarding hospital-grade standards from taking effect. September 2015 - The abortion providers challenging the Texas restrictions ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their appeal of the 5th Circuit's ruling. November 2015 - The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear the challenge by abortion providers to the Texas restrictions. The court was due to hear oral arguments early in 2016, with a ruling due by the end of June. (Compiled by Joan Biskupic in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)