Missouri Conscience Protection Bill of 2014 (HB 1430)

HB 1430 would allow medical professionals and health-care institutions to refuse to participate in medical procedures or research that violates their conscience, including surgical and medication abortions, contraception, assisted reproduction, human cloning, and human embryonic stem-cell research. The bill would also immunize medical professionals and health-care institutions from civil and criminal liability based on their refusal.

The bill would prevent any kind of discrimination or retaliation against health-care professionals who refuse to participate in health-care services that violated their conscience.

The bill defines “conscience”  as “religious, moral or ethical principles.” The bill states that a  health-care institution’s conscience “shall be determined by reference to its existing or proposed religious, moral, or ethical guidelines, mission statement, constitution, by-laws, articles of incorporation, regulations, or other relevant documents. The bill further states that a medical professional’s conscience means “a sincere and meaningful belief in God or in relation to a supreme being, or a belief which, though not so derived, occupies in the life of its possessor a place parallel to that filled by God among adherents to religious faiths.”

STATUS

After public hearing on April 17, 2014, voted “do pass” by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Health Committee.

Substantially similar to SB 84, which failed to pass during the 2013 legislative session.

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