Legis Daily

Conscience Protection Act of 2021

USA117th CongressS-401| Senate 
| Updated: 2/24/2021
James Lankford

James Lankford

Republican Senator

Oklahoma

Cosponsors (31)
Rick Scott (Republican)Bill Cassidy (Republican)Mike Braun (Republican)Roger Marshall (Republican)Thomas Tillis (Republican)Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican)Jerry Moran (Republican)Mike Lee (Republican)James E. Risch (Republican)Cynthia M. Lummis (Republican)Marsha Blackburn (Republican)Tom Cotton (Republican)James M. Inhofe (Republican)John Boozman (Republican)Roy Blunt (Republican)John Thune (Republican)Mike Rounds (Republican)Ted Cruz (Republican)Tim Scott (Republican)Ben Sasse (Republican)Kevin Cramer (Republican)John Kennedy (Republican)Deb Fischer (Republican)Bill Hagerty (Republican)John Barrasso (Republican)Josh Hawley (Republican)Marco Rubio (Republican)Rob Portman (Republican)Steve Daines (Republican)John Hoeven (Republican)Mike Crapo (Republican)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
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.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

S 116-183
Conscience Protection Act of 2019
Feb 24, 2021
Introduced in Senate
Feb 24, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Nov 22, 2021

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 117-6060
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 116-183
    Conscience Protection Act of 2019


  • February 24, 2021
    Introduced in Senate


  • February 24, 2021
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.


  • November 22, 2021

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 117-6060
    Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health

Related Bills

  • HR 117-6060: Conscience Protection Act of 2021
AbortionCivil actions and liabilityDisability and health-based discriminationEmployee benefits and pensionsGovernment liabilityGovernment studies and investigationsHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care coverage and accessHealth facilities and institutionsHealth personnelHealth programs administration and fundingMedical educationReligion

Conscience Protection Act of 2021

USA117th CongressS-401| Senate 
| Updated: 2/24/2021
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.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

S 116-183
Conscience Protection Act of 2019
Feb 24, 2021
Introduced in Senate
Feb 24, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Nov 22, 2021

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 117-6060
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 116-183
    Conscience Protection Act of 2019


  • February 24, 2021
    Introduced in Senate


  • February 24, 2021
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.


  • November 22, 2021

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 117-6060
    Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
James Lankford

James Lankford

Republican Senator

Oklahoma

Cosponsors (31)
Rick Scott (Republican)Bill Cassidy (Republican)Mike Braun (Republican)Roger Marshall (Republican)Thomas Tillis (Republican)Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican)Jerry Moran (Republican)Mike Lee (Republican)James E. Risch (Republican)Cynthia M. Lummis (Republican)Marsha Blackburn (Republican)Tom Cotton (Republican)James M. Inhofe (Republican)John Boozman (Republican)Roy Blunt (Republican)John Thune (Republican)Mike Rounds (Republican)Ted Cruz (Republican)Tim Scott (Republican)Ben Sasse (Republican)Kevin Cramer (Republican)John Kennedy (Republican)Deb Fischer (Republican)Bill Hagerty (Republican)John Barrasso (Republican)Josh Hawley (Republican)Marco Rubio (Republican)Rob Portman (Republican)Steve Daines (Republican)John Hoeven (Republican)Mike Crapo (Republican)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Health

Related Bills

  • HR 117-6060: Conscience Protection Act of 2021
  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
AbortionCivil actions and liabilityDisability and health-based discriminationEmployee benefits and pensionsGovernment liabilityGovernment studies and investigationsHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care coverage and accessHealth facilities and institutionsHealth personnelHealth programs administration and fundingMedical educationReligion