Search
-
April 26, 2023SB 1580 (Trumbull) was approved by the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday by a 14-5 vote and is now available to be taken up by the full Senate. FCCB's Mike Barrett was present at the committee meeting and indicated FCCB's support for the bill.
"We must remember that we live in a diverse society, and protecting diverse viewpoints even in the medical process protects access to care for patients," said bill sponsor Senator Trumbull.
SB 1580 and HB 1403 (Rudman) provide health care providers and payors with the right to opt out of participation in, or payment for, any health care service on the basis of conscience. The bill also creates whistleblower protections for health care providers and payors who provide information regarding violations of medical conscience protections.
The legislation also includes a cause of action for violations of medical conscience protections and a free speech component that protects individuals from disciplinary actions by medical boards or associations for speaking or writing publicly about a health care service provided that the individual’s speech is not medical advice or treatment provided to a specific patient. The FCCB has long supported the conscience provisions of the bill.
