S. 1756: Conscience Protection Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Conscience Protection Act of 2025, aims to amend the Public Health Service Act to enhance protections for health care entities that refuse to participate in abortion-related services on moral, ethical, or religious grounds. Here is a summary of its primary components:

Prohibition of Discrimination

The bill prohibits the federal government and entities receiving federal financial assistance from penalizing, retaliating against, or otherwise discriminating against health care providers that:

• Do not perform, refer for, pay for, or otherwise participate in abortions.
• Do not provide or sponsor abortion coverage.
• Do not facilitate or arrange for any of these activities.

This aims to ensure that health care entities can uphold their convictions without facing discrimination or loss of funding.

Strengthening Enforcement of Conscience Laws

The bill seeks to improve the enforcement of existing federal conscience rights by:

• Allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue regulations to enforce these conscience protections effectively.
• Establishing mechanisms for individuals or entities to report violations and receive prompt investigations from the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Empowering the Secretary to induce compliance with conscience laws through the termination of federal financial assistance if necessary.

Legal Recourse for Violations

Under the bill, parties claiming their conscience rights have been violated can:

• Pursue civil action against entities that discriminate on the basis of conscience rights.
• Claim relief including injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and coverage for legal fees.

The act also ensures that individuals do not need to exhaust administrative remedies before bringing a lawsuit.

Definitions and Scope

The bill clearly defines key terms, such as "health care entity," which includes individual providers like doctors and nurses, as well as facilities, organizations, and programs involved in providing or paying for health care services.

Severability Clause

A severability clause is included, stating that if any part of the act is found unconstitutional, the remaining provisions will still apply.

Relevant Companies

None found