Vetoed by Governor Jay Nixon

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to repass a bill after having adopted a conference report that authorizes employers and employees to refuse to offer or obtain health care coverage due to their religious or moral beliefs.

Highlights:

• Authorizes individuals, employers, health plan providers, and health plan sponsors to refuse to obtain or provide health care coverage that provides abortions, contraception, or sterilization if such procedures are contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of the individual, employer, provider, or sponsor (Sec. A).

• Prohibits any governmental entity from discriminating against or penalizing a health plan, health care provider or sponsor, employer, or employee for their objection to abortion, contraception or sterilization based on “religious beliefs” or “moral convictions” (Sec. A).

• Authorizes medical professionals to refuse to participate in medical procedures or research that violate their conscience (Sec. A).

• Specifies that a medical professional will not be civilly, criminally, or administratively at fault for declining to take part in procedures or research that violate his or her conscience (Sec. A).

• Defines “conscience” as the religious, moral, or ethical principles held by a medical professional or a health care institution (Sec. A).

• Defines "conscience" in regards to a medical professional as a sincere and meaningful belief in God or in relation to a supreme being, or a belief which, though not so derived, occupies in the life of its possessor a place parallel to that filled by God among adherents to religious faiths (Sec. A).

• Authorizes a health care institution to decline to perform specified medical procedures or research that violates its conscience (Sec. A).

• Requires a health care institution that declines to perform a medical procedure to provide a consent form to any patients prior to their admission indicating that the institution retains the right to refuse to provide services that violate its conscience (Sec. A).

• Defines "health care institution conscience” as the reference to its existing or proposed religious, moral, or ethical guidelines, mission statement, constitution, bylaws, articles of incorporation, regulations, or other relevant documents (Sec. A).

• Prohibits the discrimination against a health care institution that refuses to perform specified medical procedures or research, including, but not limited to, discrimination related to the following (Sec. A):
• Denial, deprivation, or disqualification of licensure;
• Aid, assistance, benefits, or privileges; and
• Authorization, including authorization to create, expand, or merge with another health care institution. 

• Specifies that pharmacies are not required to carry or provide any specific prescription or nonprescription drug or device (Sec. A).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to repass a bill after having adopted a conference report that authorizes employers and employees to refuse to offer or obtain health care coverage due to their religious or moral beliefs.

Highlights:

• Authorizes individuals, employers, health plan providers, and health plan sponsors to refuse to obtain or provide health care coverage that provides abortions, contraception, or sterilization if such procedures are contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of the individual, employer, provider, or sponsor (Sec. A).

• Prohibits any governmental entity from discriminating against or penalizing a health plan, health care provider or sponsor, employer, or employee for their objection to abortion, contraception or sterilization based on “religious beliefs” or “moral convictions” (Sec. A).

• Authorizes medical professionals to refuse to participate in medical procedures or research that violate their conscience (Sec. A).

• Specifies that a medical professional will not be civilly, criminally, or administratively at fault for declining to take part in procedures or research that violate his or her conscience (Sec. A).

• Defines “conscience” as the religious, moral, or ethical principles held by a medical professional or a health care institution (Sec. A).

• Defines "conscience" in regards to a medical professional as a sincere and meaningful belief in God or in relation to a supreme being, or a belief which, though not so derived, occupies in the life of its possessor a place parallel to that filled by God among adherents to religious faiths (Sec. A).

• Authorizes a health care institution to decline to perform specified medical procedures or research that violates its conscience (Sec. A).

• Requires a health care institution that declines to perform a medical procedure to provide a consent form to any patients prior to their admission indicating that the institution retains the right to refuse to provide services that violate its conscience (Sec. A).

• Defines "health care institution conscience” as the reference to its existing or proposed religious, moral, or ethical guidelines, mission statement, constitution, bylaws, articles of incorporation, regulations, or other relevant documents (Sec. A).

• Prohibits the discrimination against a health care institution that refuses to perform specified medical procedures or research, including, but not limited to, discrimination related to the following (Sec. A):
• Denial, deprivation, or disqualification of licensure;
• Aid, assistance, benefits, or privileges; and
• Authorization, including authorization to create, expand, or merge with another health care institution. 

• Specifies that pharmacies are not required to carry or provide any specific prescription or nonprescription drug or device (Sec. A).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits individuals from being required to obtain or provide health care coverage for certain items that runs counter to their religious beliefs or moral convictions.

Highlights:

• Prohibits an individual from being required to obtain health care coverage, or penalized for refusing to provide health care coverage, for abortion, contraception, or sterilization if such items are against the employee or employer’s religious beliefs or moral convictions (Sec. A).

• Specifies that this does not include coverage of prescription contraceptive drugs or devices if ordered by a health care provider for reasons other than contraceptive or abortion purposes (Sec. A).

• Defines "sterilization" as any elective medical procedure for which the sole purpose is to make an individual incapable of reproduction (Sec. A).

Full Bill Text