Federal laws are passed by the United States Congress and signed by the President. Federal laws are the most comprehensive since they govern the acts of all individuals in all areas of the United States. Federal laws, however, can take a long time to pass. In addition to federal and state statutes and local ordinances, clinics can be protected by injunctions orders issued by courts during lawsuits. Injunctions apply only to specifically identified individuals or groups involved in the lawsuit, or persons acting on their behalf or in cooperation with those individuals involved in the suit.
Injunctions can prohibit anti-choicers from acting against specific people or clinics.
State and local government laws can do more than federal laws, but they cannot contradict federal law. In the same way, local laws can go farther than state laws but cannot conflict with state laws. The larger the governmental entity, the more priority its laws receive. Federal statutes prevail over state statutes, which prevail over county and city ordinances. All of these laws are subject to the restrictions of the United States Constitution and cannot violate First Amendment protections .