La. Legislature Approves Provider 'Conscience' Bill; Gov. Expected To Sign Measure

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Public Health;  Nursing / Midwifery;  Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 25 Jun 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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The Louisiana House on Tuesday voted 88-12 in favor of a bill (H.B. 517) that would expand the ability of health care workers to refuse to participate in certain services based on moral or religious beliefs, the AP/USA Today reports. The bill now goes to Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), who is expected to sign it.

The bill would shield health workers from civil and criminal penalties, job loss or demotion if they refuse to provide certain services based on moral objections or religious beliefs. According to the AP/USA Today, these services could include "abortion, certain types of emergency contraception, human embryonic stem cell research, human embryo cloning, euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide." Opposition to the bill lessened with the addition of certain amendments, including a provision that would require health providers to notify their employers in writing of any procedures or services to which they would object. Another amendment would require facilities to ensure that adequate staff is available to provide services and information that would be refused (Deslatte, AP/USA Today, 6/24).

The conservative Louisiana Family Forum advocated for the bill. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the American Civil Liberties Union opposed it, arguing that patients would be denied access to services and information (Barrow, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 6/23).

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