Rights of Conscience of Health-Care Providers

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  1. Rights of Conscience. A health-care provider has the right not to participate, and no health-care provider shall be required to participate in a health-care service that violates his or her conscience. However, this subsection does not allow a health-care provider to refuse to participate in a health-care service regarding a patient because of the patient's race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, religion, creed or sexual orientation.
  2. Immunity from Liability. No health-care provider shall be civilly, criminally, or administratively liable for declining to participate in a health-care service that violates his or her conscience. However, this subsection does not exempt a health-care provider from liability for refusing to participate in a health-care service regarding a patient because of the patient's race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, religion, creed or sexual orientation.
  3. Discrimination. It shall be unlawful for any person, health-care provider, health-care institution, public or private institution, public official, or any board which certifies competency in medical specialties to discriminate against any health-care provider in any manner based on his or her declining to participate in a health-care service that violates his or her conscience. For purposes of this chapter, discrimination includes, but is not limited to: termination, transfer, refusal of staff privileges, refusal of board certification, adverse administrative action, demotion, loss of career specialty, reassignment to a different shift, reduction of wages or benefits, refusal to award any grant, contract, or other program, refusal to provide residency training opportunities, or any other penalty, disciplinary or retaliatory action.


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