II
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. 47
To provide for regulations on protecting statutory conscience rights in health
care.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY9, 2025
Mr. H
AWLEYintroduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To provide for regulations on protecting statutory conscience
rights in health care.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defense of Conscience 4
in Health Care Act’’. 5
SEC. 2. REGULATIONS ON PROTECTING STATUTORY CON-6
SCIENCE RIGHTS IN HEALTH CARE. 7
(a) I
NGENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 8
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 9
Human Services shall— 10
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•S 47 IS
(1) issue, under the Federal conscience and 1
anti-discrimination laws, a final rule that is identical 2
or materially equivalent to the former rule stated in 3
part 88 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, as 4
in effect on July 22, 2019 (84 Fed. Reg. 23170; re-5
lating to protecting statutory conscience rights in 6
health care; delegations of authority); and 7
(2) specify in the final rule that the rule super-8
sedes any contrary rule in existence on the date of 9
issuance. 10
(b) D
EFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘Federal 11
conscience and anti-discrimination laws’’ has the meaning 12
given the term in the former rule specified in subsection 13
(a)(1). 14
Æ
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