Conscience Protection Act of 2021

12/30/2022, 8:18 AM

Conscience Protection Act of 2021

This bill provides statutory authority for certain protections for health care providers that refuse to participate in abortions based on religious beliefs or other convictions. Health care providers include individual professionals, medical facilities, health insurance organizations, and social services providers that refer clients to health care services.

The federal government and entities that receive federal funding for health-related activities, including state and local governments, may not discriminate against a health care provider that refuses to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortions. Currently, similar requirements apply to various related activities, including

  • certain employment or personnel decisions (the Church Amendments),
  • abortion services training (the Coats-Snowe Amendment),
  • qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges, and
  • annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies (the Weldon Amendment).

The HHS Office for Civil Rights must investigate complaints of this kind of discrimination. Furthermore, HHS may terminate or reduce HHS funding for health-related activities if a person or entity fails to comply with nondiscrimination requirements.

Additionally, the Department of Justice or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may bring a civil action to obtain appropriate relief. A plaintiff does not need to seek or exhaust administrative remedies before bringing the action. A plaintiff may also bring an action, including one for money damages, against a governmental entity. In many cases, principles of sovereign immunity shield states and some localities from these kinds of actions.

Bill 117 HR 6060, also known as the Conscience Protection Act of 2021, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The main purpose of this bill is to protect the rights of healthcare providers who have moral or religious objections to certain medical procedures, such as abortion.

The bill aims to prevent discrimination against healthcare providers who refuse to participate in or provide services that go against their conscience. It prohibits the government from taking any adverse action against healthcare providers who choose not to participate in such procedures.

Additionally, the Conscience Protection Act of 2021 includes provisions that allow healthcare providers to file complaints with the Department of Health and Human Services if they believe their rights have been violated. The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate these complaints and take appropriate action if necessary. Overall, the Conscience Protection Act of 2021 seeks to ensure that healthcare providers are able to practice medicine in accordance with their moral or religious beliefs without fear of retribution. It is currently being debated in Congress and has garnered support from various religious and pro-life organizations.
Congress
117

Number
HR - 6060

Introduced on
2021-11-19

# Amendments
0

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

11/19/2021

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Conscience Protection Act of 2021

This bill provides statutory authority for certain protections for health care providers that refuse to participate in abortions based on religious beliefs or other convictions. Health care providers include individual professionals, medical facilities, health insurance organizations, and social services providers that refer clients to health care services.

The federal government and entities that receive federal funding for health-related activities, including state and local governments, may not discriminate against a health care provider that refuses to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortions. Currently, similar requirements apply to various related activities, including

  • certain employment or personnel decisions (the Church Amendments),
  • abortion services training (the Coats-Snowe Amendment),
  • qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges, and
  • annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies (the Weldon Amendment).

The HHS Office for Civil Rights must investigate complaints of this kind of discrimination. Furthermore, HHS may terminate or reduce HHS funding for health-related activities if a person or entity fails to comply with nondiscrimination requirements.

Additionally, the Department of Justice or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may bring a civil action to obtain appropriate relief. A plaintiff does not need to seek or exhaust administrative remedies before bringing the action. A plaintiff may also bring an action, including one for money damages, against a governmental entity. In many cases, principles of sovereign immunity shield states and some localities from these kinds of actions.

Bill 117 HR 6060, also known as the Conscience Protection Act of 2021, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The main purpose of this bill is to protect the rights of healthcare providers who have moral or religious objections to certain medical procedures, such as abortion.

The bill aims to prevent discrimination against healthcare providers who refuse to participate in or provide services that go against their conscience. It prohibits the government from taking any adverse action against healthcare providers who choose not to participate in such procedures.

Additionally, the Conscience Protection Act of 2021 includes provisions that allow healthcare providers to file complaints with the Department of Health and Human Services if they believe their rights have been violated. The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate these complaints and take appropriate action if necessary. Overall, the Conscience Protection Act of 2021 seeks to ensure that healthcare providers are able to practice medicine in accordance with their moral or religious beliefs without fear of retribution. It is currently being debated in Congress and has garnered support from various religious and pro-life organizations.
Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedTo amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit governmental discrimination against health care providers that do not participate in abortion.

Policy Areas
Health

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary3/18/2022

Conscience Protection Act of 2021

This bill provides statutory authority for certain protections for health care providers that refuse to participate in abortions based on religious beliefs or other convictions. Health care p...


Latest Action11/22/2021
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.