Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB279 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	I
2	2	118THCONGRESS
3	3	1
4	4	STSESSION H. R. 279
5	5	To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit governmental discrimina-
6	6	tion against certain health care providers with certain objections to
7	7	abortion.
8	8	IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
9	9	JANUARY11, 2023
10	10	Mr. C
11	11	ARTERof Georgia (for himself, Mrs. HARSHBARGER, Mr. MOOREof
12	12	Utah, Mr. A
13	13	DERHOLT, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. BALDERSON, Mr. CLYDE, Mr.
14	14	E
15	15	LLZEY, Mr. WEBSTERof Florida, Mr. WENSTRUP, Mr. WILLIAMSof
16	16	Texas, and Mr. F
17	17	EENSTRA) introduced the following bill; which was re-
18	18	ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
19	19	A BILL
20	20	To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit govern-
21	21	mental discrimination against certain health care pro-
22	22	viders with certain objections to abortion.
23	23	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
24	24	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
25	25	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
26	26	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pharmacist Conscience 4
27	27	Protection Act’’. 5
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30	30	•HR 279 IH
31	31	SEC. 2. PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CERTAIN 1
32	32	HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH CERTAIN 2
33	33	OBJECTIONS TO ABORTION. 3
34	34	Title II of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 4
35	35	202 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 245 the 5
36	36	following: 6
37	37	‘‘SEC. 245A. PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CER-7
38	38	TAIN HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH CER-8
39	39	TAIN OBJECTIONS TO ABORTION. 9
40	40	‘‘(a) I
41	41	NGENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro-10
42	42	vision of law, the Federal Government, and any person 11
43	43	or entity that receives Federal grants, contracts, or finan-12
44	44	cial assistance, including any State or local government, 13
45	45	may not penalize, treat adversely, retaliate against, or oth-14
46	46	erwise discriminate against a specified health care pro-15
47	47	vider, or take any action that has such effect, on the basis 16
48	48	that the specified health care provider does not or declines 17
49	49	to store or fill a prescription, or make a referral, for a 18
50	50	drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administra-19
51	51	tion to cause an abortion or that the specified health care 20
52	52	provider in good faith believes may be used to cause an 21
53	53	abortion. 22
54	54	‘‘(b) P
55	55	RIVATERIGHT OFACTION.— 23
56	56	‘‘(1) I
57	57	N GENERAL.—A qualified party may, in a 24
58	58	civil action, obtain appropriate relief, including dam-25
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61	61	•HR 279 IH
62	62	ages, with regard to a violation of subsection (a) or 1
63	63	threat made in violation of subsection (a). 2
64	64	‘‘(2) Q
65	65	UALIFIED PARTY.—The term ‘qualified 3
66	66	party’ means, with respect to a violation of sub-4
67	67	section (a) or threat made in violation of such sub-5
68	68	section— 6
69	69	‘‘(A) the Attorney General of the United 7
70	70	States; or 8
71	71	‘‘(B) any person or entity adversely af-9
72	72	fected by such violation or threat without re-10
73	73	gard to whether such person or entity is a 11
74	74	health care provider. 12
75	75	‘‘(c) D
76	76	EFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: 13
77	77	‘‘(1) S
78	78	PECIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER .— 14
79	79	The term ‘specified health care provider’ includes a 15
80	80	pharmacist, pharmacy technician, pharmacy, or 16
81	81	owner of a pharmacy that has an objection to any 17
82	82	abortion or all abortions on moral, religious, con-18
83	83	science, or medical judgment grounds. 19
84	84	‘‘(2) S
85	85	TATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT .—The 20
86	86	term ‘State or local government’ includes every 21
87	87	agency and other governmental unit and subdivision 22
88	88	of a State or local government. 23
89	89	‘‘(3) S
90	90	TATE.—The term ‘State’ means any of 24
91	91	the 50 States and the District of Columbia and in-25
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94	94	•HR 279 IH
95	95	cludes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, 1
96	96	American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Is-2
97	97	lands. 3
98	98	‘‘(d) R
99	99	ULES OFCONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 4
100	100	section shall be construed to— 5
101	101	‘‘(1) require a specified health care provider to 6
102	102	prescribe, fill, refer, or stock any drugs or devices; 7
103	103	or 8
104	104	‘‘(2) limit any State or Federal laws equally or 9
105	105	more protective of conscience or religious freedom.’’. 10
106	106	Æ
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