House concurs with Senate amendment to Medical Ethics Defense Act amid debate over patient disclosure and discrimination
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Summary
The House concurred with Senate amendment H8174 to House File 571 (Medical Ethics Defense Act), removing payer protections and adding an employer-notification sentence; supporters said it protects practitioners' conscience rights, while critics warned it could legalize discrimination and lacks referral or disclosure requirements.
The House concurred with Senate amendment H8174 to House File 571, the Medical Ethics Defense Act, and moved the bill for passage. Representative Gustaf said the Senate amendment removes payers from coverage and adds a requirement that a medical practitioner inform their employer of a conscience-based objection; he argued the measure protects practitioners and supports recruitment. "The freedom to live and work consistent with one's conscience is a powerful... motivator for many who enter the medical practice fields," Gustaf said.
Representative Bathe pressed whether the bill requires doctors to disclose to patients when they refuse care, argued that the bill "legalizes discrimination in the medical field," and said the bill contains no requirement to refer patients to other providers. Bathe urged a no vote, citing concerns about health-care shortages in rural areas and the absence of guardrails in the bill.
The House concurred with the Senate amendment and placed House File 571 on final passage. The clerk reported a roll-call of 63 ayes, 27 noes, and 10 absent; the bill received a constitutional majority and was declared to have passed the House.
