- Feb 5, 2002
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Tennessee has become the latest state to enshrine conscience rights for medical professionals into law.
Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 955 into law Thursday. Lee’s approval of the bill follows its passage by the Republican-controlled Tennessee Senate in a 27-3 vote and the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives in a 71-22 vote. The votes in both chambers fell along party lines, with all Republicans supporting the legislation and all Democrats opposing it.
Also known as the Medical Ethics Defense Act, Senate Bill 955 declares that “a healthcare provider must not be required to participate in or pay for a healthcare procedure, treatment, or service that violates the conscience of the healthcare provider.” The term “healthcare provider” applies to healthcare institutions, health insurance companies and healthcare professionals, while the term “conscience” is defined as “the sincerely held ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles held by a healthcare provider.”
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Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 955 into law Thursday. Lee’s approval of the bill follows its passage by the Republican-controlled Tennessee Senate in a 27-3 vote and the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives in a 71-22 vote. The votes in both chambers fell along party lines, with all Republicans supporting the legislation and all Democrats opposing it.
Also known as the Medical Ethics Defense Act, Senate Bill 955 declares that “a healthcare provider must not be required to participate in or pay for a healthcare procedure, treatment, or service that violates the conscience of the healthcare provider.” The term “healthcare provider” applies to healthcare institutions, health insurance companies and healthcare professionals, while the term “conscience” is defined as “the sincerely held ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles held by a healthcare provider.”
Continued below.