HB 1539 -- Health Care Rights of Conscience Act

Sponsor:  Stevenson

This bill establishes the Health Care Rights of Conscience Act to
protect the religious, moral, or ethical principles held by a
health care provider, health care institution, or health care
payer.  The bill:

(1)  Specifies a health care provider is not required to
participate in a health care service that violates his or her
conscience.  Any individual declining to participate in a service
will not be civilly, criminally, or administratively liable and
will not be discriminated against in any manner for refusing to
participate;

(2)  Specifies that a health care institution is not required to
participate in a health care service that violates its
conscience.  Any health care institution that declines to provide
or participate in a service will not be held civilly, criminally,
or administratively liable if the patient signs a consent form
before admission that he or she has been notified of the
institution's right;

(3)  Specifies that any person, health care institution,
association, corporation, or other entity attempting to establish
a new health care institution or operating an existing
institution will not be discriminated against for declining to
participate in a service which violates the institution's
conscience;

(4)  Specifies that no public official, agency, institution, or
entity will deny aid or assistance because the institution has
declined to participate in a health care service contrary to its
conscience;

(5)  Specifies that a health care payer will not be required to
pay for or arrange for the payment of any health care service or
product that violates the payer's conscience;

(6)  Specifies that no person, association, corporation, health
care payer, or other entity that owns, operates, supervises, or
manages a health care payer will be held civilly, criminally, or
administratively liable for declining to pay for or arrange for
the payment of any health care service that violates the payer's
conscience;

(7)  Specifies that no person, public or private institution, or
public official will discriminate against any health care payer
or any person, association, corporation, or other entity
attempting to establish a new health care payer or operating an
existing health care payer in any manner for declining to pay for
or arrange for the payment of any health care service that
violates the payer's conscience;

(8)  Specifies that no public official, agency, institution, or
entity will deny aid or assistance because the health care payer
declines to pay for or arrange for the payment of any service
that violates the payer's conscience; and

(9)  Allows any individual, association, corporation, entity, or
health care institution to sue for damages and injunctive relief.

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated November 29, 2006 at 9:43 am