Relating to protection of persons from participation in a health care service for reasons of conscience; providing a civil remedy; authorizing disciplinary action.
What changed between versions
Added requirement for healthcare facilities to develop written protocols for handling conscience-based declinations, including patient access information and facilitation processes.
Added explicit prohibition against requiring facilities or providers to counsel or refer patients for services contrary to the provider's conscience.
Expanded adverse action examples to include denial of program participation, reference to conscience reasons on applications, employment burdens, denial of benefits, and coercion of aid recipients.
Added civil remedies provision allowing injured persons to sue for injunctive relief, damages including psychological and emotional injuries, court costs, and attorney fees.
Changed effective date from unspecified to September 1, 2025, and added a December 1, 2025 deadline for facilities to develop required protocols.
Added restriction that physicians or healthcare providers cannot file complaints unless they first comply with the facility's conscience protocol.
