This bill addresses the right of a person to refuse to participate in certain activities relating to a health care service that violates the person's conscience.
This bill:
- defines terms;
- provides that a health care provider, health care institution, or health care payer has a right of conscience that permits the provider, institution, or payer to refuse to provide, participate in, pay for, or arrange payment for a health care service that violates the person's conscience;
- protects a person who exercises the person's right of conscience from being held civilly, criminally, or administratively liable for exercising the right;
- requires a medical practitioner who refuses, under the right of conscience, to participate in a health care service, to provide notice to the health care institution where the service is provided;
- prohibits discrimination or adverse action against a person in retaliation to the person exercising the person's right of conscience;
- requires a health care payer agreement to disclose the health care services that the health care payer does not pay for due to the exercise of the right of conscience;
- requires certain government entities to investigate and take administrative action against a person, regulated by the government entity, who violates the provisions of this bill relating to the exercise of the right of conscience;
- permits legal action, under certain circumstances, against a person who violates the provisions of this bill relating to the exercise of a right of conscience;
- permits a health care provider, on religious or moral grounds, to refuse to perform or participate in the disposal of remains from the termination of a pregnancy; and
- makes technical changes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 76-7-306