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SB887
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Oklahoma Senate Bill SB887

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Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB887 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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53	53		STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55		1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
56	56
57	57		SENATE BILL 887 By: Jett
58	58
59	59
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62	62
63	63		AS INTRODUCED
64	64
65	65		An Act relating to freedom of conscience; creating
66	66		the Medical Ethics Defense Act; provi ding short
67	67		title; defining terms; granting certain rights to
68	68		certain medical practitioner s, healthcare
69	69		institutions, or healthcare payer s; limiting exercise
70	70		of certain rights; granting certain immunities;
71	71		prohibiting certain discrimination; requiring opt-in
72	72		for abortion; providing certain construction;
73	73		prohibiting and requiring certain act ions by
74	74		licensing board under certain c onditions; authorizing
75	75		and prohibiting certain civil action s; prohibiting
76	76		certain defense; providing for recovery of damages
77	77		and other relief; providing severability; providing
78	78		for codification; and providing an effective date .
79	79
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83	83		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
84	84		SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
85	85		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-728g of Title 63, unless there
86	86		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
87	87		This act may be known and cited as the “Medical Ethics Defense
88	88		Act”.
89	89		SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codifi ed
90	90		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-728h of Title 63, unless there
91	91		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
92	92
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143	143		1. “Conscience” means the ethical, moral, or religious beliefs
144	144		or principles held by any medical practitioner, healthcare
145	145		institution, or healthcare payer. Conscience with resp ect to
146	146		institutional entities or corporate bodies, as opposed to individual
147	147		persons, is determined by reference to that entity or body ’s
148	148		governing documents, including but not limited to any published
149	149		ethical, moral, or religious guidelines or directives; mission
150	150		statements; constitutions; articles of incorporation; bylaws;
151	151		policies; or regulations;
152	152		2. “Disclosure” means a formal or informal communication or
153	153		transmission, but does not include a communicati on or transmission
154	154		concerning policy decisions that lawfully exercise discretionary
155	155		authority unless the medical practitioner provid ing the disclosure
156	156		or transmission reasonably believes that the disclosure or
157	157		transmission evinces:
158	158		a. any violation of any law, rule, or regulation ,
159	159		b. any violation of any e thical guidelines for the
160	160		provision of any medical procedure or service , or
161	161		c. gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse
162	162		of authority, practices or methods of treatment that
163	163		may put patient health at risk, or a substantial and
164	164		specific danger to public health or safety ;
165	165		3. “Discrimination” means any adverse action taken ag ainst, or
166	166		any threat of adverse action communicated to, any medical
167	167
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218	218		practitioner, healthcare institution, or healthcare paye r as a
219	219		result of his, her, or its decision to decli ne to participate in a
220	220		medical procedure or service on the basis of conscience.
221	221		Discrimination includes, but is not limited to, termination of
222	222		employment; transfer fro m current position; demotion from cur rent
223	223		position; adverse administrative action; reass ignment to a different
224	224		shift or job title; increased administrative duties; refusa l of
225	225		staff privileges; refusal of board certification; loss of career
226	226		specialty; reduction of wages, benefits, or privilege s; refusal to
227	227		award a grant, contract, or other pro gram; refusal to provide
228	228		residency training opportunities; denial, deprivation, or
229	229		disqualification of licensure; withholding or disqualifying from
230	230		financial aid and ot her assistance; impediments to creati ng any
231	231		healthcare institution or payer or expanding or improving such
232	232		healthcare institution or payer; impediments to acquiring,
233	233		associating with, or merging with any other healthcare institution
234	234		or payer; the threat th ereof with regard to any of the prece ding; or
235	235		any other penalty, disciplinary, or retali atory action, whether
236	236		executed or threatened. However, discrimination excludes th e
237	237		negotiation or purchase of insurance by a non -government entity;
238	238		4. “Medical procedure or service” means medical care pr ovided
239	239		to any patient at any time over the entire c ourse of treatment, or
240	240		medical research. This includes, but is not limited to, te sting;
241	241		diagnosis; referral; dispensing and/or administering any drug,
242	242
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293	293		medication, or device; psychological therapy or couns eling;
294	294		research; prognosis; therapy; record making procedures; notes
295	295		related to treatment; set up or performance of a surgery or
296	296		procedure; or any other care or service performed or provided by any
297	297		medical practitioner including, but not limited to, physic ians,
298	298		nurses, allied health professionals, paraprof essionals, contractors,
299	299		or employees of healthcare institutions ;
300	300		5. “Healthcare institution” means any organization,
301	301		corporation, partnership, association, agency, ne twork, sole
302	302		proprietorship, joint vent ure, or other entity that provides medical
303	303		procedures or services. The term includes, but is not limited to,
304	304		any public or private h ospital, clinic, medical center, physician
305	305		organization, professional association, am bulatory surgical center,
306	306		private physician’s office, pharmacy, nursing home, medical sch ool,
307	307		nursing school, medical training facility, or any other entity or
308	308		location in which medical procedures or services are performed ;
309	309		6. “Healthcare payer” means any employer, health plan, health
310	310		maintenance organization, insurance company, management se rvices
311	311		organization, or any other entity that pays for —or arranges for the
312	312		payment of—any medical procedure or service provided to any patient,
313	313		whether that payment is made in whole or in part ;
314	314		7. “Medical practitioner” means any person or individual who
315	315		may be or is asked to participate in any way in any medical
316	316		procedure or service. This includes, but is not limited to,
317	317
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368	368		doctors, nurse practitioners, physician ’s assistants, nurses,
369	369		nurses’ aides, allied health professionals, medical assistants,
370	370		hospital employees, clinic employees, nursing home employees,
371	371		pharmacists, pharmacy technician s and employees, medical school
372	372		faculty and students, nursing school faculty and s tudents,
373	373		psychology and counseling fac ulty and students, medical researchers,
374	374		laboratory technicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors,
375	375		mental health professionals, s ocial workers, or any other person who
376	376		facilitates or participates in the provisio n of a medical procedure
377	377		or service;
378	378		8. “Participate” in a medical procedure or service means to
379	379		provide, perform, assist with, facilitate, refer for, counsel for,
380	380		advise with regard to, admit for the purposes of providing, or take
381	381		part in any way in prov iding any medical procedure or service , or
382	382		any form of such service ;
383	383		9. “Pay” or “payment” means to pay for, contract for, arrange
384	384		for the payment of (whether in whole or in p art), reimburse, or
385	385		remunerate;
386	386		SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
387	387		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-728i of Title 63, unless there
388	388		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
389	389		A. Freedom of Conscience. A medical practitioner, healthcare
390	390		institution, or healthcare payer has the right not to participate in
391	391
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442	442		or pay for any medical procedure or service which violat es his, her,
443	443		or its conscience.
444	444		B. Limitations. The exercise of the right of conscience is
445	445		limited to conscience -based objections to a particular medical
446	446		procedure or service. This section may not be co nstrued to waive or
447	447		modify any duty a health care p ractitioner, health care institution,
448	448		or health care payer may have to provide other medical procedures or
449	449		services that do not violate the practitioner ’s, institution’s, or
450	450		payer’s conscience.
451	451		C. Immunity from Liability. No medical practitioner,
452	452		healthcare institution, or healthcare payer shall be civilly,
453	453		criminally, or administratively liable for exercising his, her, or
454	454		its right of conscience not to participate in or pay for a medical
455	455		procedure or service. No healthcare institution shall be civilly,
456	456		criminally, or administratively liable for the exercise of
457	457		conscience rights not to participate in a medical procedure or
458	458		service by a medical practitioner employed, c ontracted, or granted
459	459		admitting privileges by the healthcare institution.
460	460		D. Discrimination. No medical practitioner, healthcare
461	461		institution, or healthcare payer shall be discriminated against in
462	462		any manner as a result of his, her, or its decision to dec line to
463	463		participate in or pay for a me dical procedure or service on the
464	464		basis of conscience.
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516	516		E. Exception. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act
517	517		to the contrary, a religious medical practitioner, health care
518	518		institution, or healthcare payer that holds itself out to the public
519	519		as religious, states in its governing documents that it h as a
520	520		religious purpose or mission, and has internal operating policies or
521	521		procedures that implement its religious beliefs, sh all have the
522	522		right to make employment, sta ffing, contracting, and admitting
523	523		privilege decisions consistent with its religious belie fs.
524	524		F. Opt-In Required. A health care practitioner may not be
525	525		scheduled for, assigned, or requested to directly or indirect ly
526	526		perform, facilitate, refer for, or part icipate in an abortion unless
527	527		the practitioner first affirmatively consents in writing to perform,
528	528		facilitate, refer for, or participate in the abortion. This
529	529		subsection does not establish a right to participate in an abo rtion
530	530		otherwise prohibited by law.
531	531		G. Emergency Medical Treatments. Nothing herein shall be
532	532		construed to override the req uirement to provide emergency medical
533	533		treatment to all patients set forth in 42 U.S.C. Section 1395dd.
534	534		Medical emergencies shal l be subject to the definitions and
535	535		requirements of Section 1 -731.4 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma
536	536		Statutes.
537	537		SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
538	538		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-728j of Title 63, unless there
539	539		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
540	540
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591	591		A. No medical practitioner shall be discriminated against in
592	592		any manner because the medical practitioner:
593	593		1. Provided, caused to be provided, or is about to provide or
594	594		cause to be provided to his or her empl oyer, the Attorney General,
595	595		any state agency charged with protecting health care rights of
596	596		conscience, the U.S. Departme nt of Health and Human Services, Office
597	597		of Civil Rights, or any other federal agency charged with protecting
598	598		health care rights of conscience informati on relating to any
599	599		violation of, or any act or omissio n the medical practitioner
600	600		reasonably believes to b e a violation of, any provision of this act;
601	601		2. Testified or is about to testify in a proceeding concerning
602	602		such violation; or
603	603		3. Assisted or participated, or is about to assist or
604	604		participate, in such a proceeding.
605	605		B. Unless the disclosure is specifica lly prohibited by law, no
606	606		medical practitioner shall be discriminated against in any manner
607	607		because the medical practitioner disclosed any information that the
608	608		medical practitioner re asonably believes evin ces:
609	609		1. Any violation of any law, rule, or regulat ion;
610	610		2. Any violation of any ethical guidelines for the provision of
611	611		any medical procedure or service; or
612	612		3. Gross mismanagement, a gross waste of fu nds, an abuse of
613	613		authority, practices or methods of tr eatment that may put patient
614	614
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665	665		health at risk, or a s ubstantial and specific danger to public
666	666		health or safety.
667	667		C. A licensing board may not reprimand, sanction, or revoke or
668	668		threaten to revoke a license , certificate, or registration o f a
669	669		health care practitioner for engaging in sp eech or expressive
670	670		activity protected under the First Amendment to the U.S.
671	671		Constitution, unless the licensing board demonstrates beyond a
672	672		reasonable doubt that the practitioner ’s speech was the direct cause
673	673		of physical harm to a person with whom the health care practitioner
674	674		had a practitioner-patient relationship within the three (3) years
675	675		immediately preceding the incident of physical harm.
676	676		1. The licensing board must provide a medical practitioner with
677	677		any complaints it has rece ived which may result in the revocation of
678	678		the medical practitioner’s license, certification, or registration,
679	679		within seven (7) days after receipt of the complaint.
680	680		2. The licensing board must pay the medical practitioner an
681	681		administrative penalty of $500 for each day the complaint is not
682	682		provided to the medical practitioner after the specified seven (7)
683	683		days.
684	684		SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
685	685		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-728k of Title 63, unless there
686	686		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as fol lows:
687	687		A. Civil Action for Violation of Right of Conscience. A civil
688	688		action for damages or injunctive relief —or both—may be brought by
689	689
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740	740		any medical practitioner, healthcare institutio n, or healthcare
741	741		payer for any violation of any provision of this act. Any
742	742		additional burden or expense on another medical practitioner,
743	743		healthcare institution, or healthcare payer arising fro m the
744	744		exercise of the right of co nscience shall not be a defens e to any
745	745		violation of this act. However, no civil action may be brought
746	746		against an individual who declines to use or purchase medical
747	747		procedure or services from a specific medical practition er,
748	748		healthcare institution, or heal thcare payer for exercising th e
749	749		rights granted in subsection A of Section 3 of this act .
750	750		B. Other Remedies. Any party aggrieved by any violation of
751	751		this act may commence a civil action and shall be entitled —upon the
752	752		finding of a violation —to recover threefold his, her, or its actual
753	753		damages sustained, along with the costs of the action and reasonable
754	754		attorney fees. Such damages shall be cumulative and in no way
755	755		limited by any other remedies which may be available under any other
756	756		federal, state, or munici pal law. A court considering such civil
757	757		action may also award injunctive relief, which may include, bu t is
758	758		not limited to, reinstatement of a medical practitioner to his or
759	759		her previous position, reinstatement of board certification, and re -
760	760		licensure of a healthcare institution or hea lthcare payer.
761	761		SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section o f law to be codified
762	762		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-728l of Title 63, unless there
763	763		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
764	764
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815	815		Any provision of this act held to be invalid or unenforcea ble by
816	816		its terms, or as applied to any person or ci rcumstance, shall be
817	817		construed so as to give it the maximum effect permitted by law,
818	818		unless such holding shall be one of utter invalidity or
819	819		unenforceability, in which event such prov ision shall be deemed
820	820		severable herefrom and shall not affect the remaind er hereof or the
821	821		application of such provision t o other persons not similarly
822	822		situated or to other, dissimilar circumstances.
823	823		SECTION 7. This act shall become effecti ve November 1, 2023.
824	824
825	825		59-1-1458 DC 1/19/2023 10:12:57 PM