The proposed bill, known as the Medical Ethics Defense Act, establishes a framework that protects the rights of medical practitioners, healthcare institutions, and healthcare payers to refuse participation in medical procedures or services that conflict with their conscience. It defines key terms such as "conscience," "discrimination," and "medical procedure or service," and outlines the rights granted to these entities, including immunity from civil, criminal, or administrative liability for exercising their conscience rights. The bill also prohibits discrimination against those who decline to participate in procedures based on their conscience and requires healthcare practitioners to provide written consent before being assigned to perform abortions.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions for civil actions against violations of the act, allowing affected parties to seek damages and injunctive relief. It mandates that licensing boards cannot penalize practitioners for protected speech unless it can be proven that such speech directly caused physical harm. The act emphasizes the importance of emergency medical treatment and establishes a severability clause to ensure that if any part of the act is deemed invalid, the remaining provisions will still be enforceable. The act is set to take effect on November 1, 2025.