| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a health care provider's right to object to |
|
|
participation in a medical procedure that violates the provider's |
|
|
ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 103, Occupations Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 103. RIGHT TO OBJECT TO PARTICIPATION IN CERTAIN MEDICAL |
|
|
PROCEDURES [ABORTION PROCEDURE] |
|
|
SECTION 2. Sections 103.001 and 103.002, Occupations Code, |
|
|
are amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 103.001. RIGHT TO OBJECT. A physician, nurse, staff |
|
|
member, or employee of a hospital or other health care facility who |
|
|
objects to directly or indirectly performing or participating in an |
|
|
abortion procedure or any other medical procedure on the grounds |
|
|
that the procedure violates the physician's, nurse's, staff |
|
|
member's, or employee's ethical, moral, or religious beliefs may |
|
|
not be required to directly or indirectly perform or participate in |
|
|
the procedure. |
|
|
Sec. 103.002. DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED. (a) A hospital or |
|
|
health care facility may not discriminate against a physician, |
|
|
nurse, staff member, or employee, or an applicant for one of those |
|
|
positions, who refuses to directly or indirectly perform or |
|
|
participate in: |
|
|
(1) an abortion procedure; or |
|
|
(2) any other medical procedure that violates the |
|
|
physician's, nurse's, staff member's, employee's, or applicant's |
|
|
ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. |
|
|
(b) A hospital or health care facility may not discriminate |
|
|
against a physician, nurse, staff member, or employee because of |
|
|
the person's willingness or unwillingness to directly or indirectly |
|
|
perform or participate in an abortion procedure or any other |
|
|
medical procedure at another facility. |
|
|
(c) An educational institution may not discriminate against |
|
|
an applicant for admission or employment as a student, intern, or |
|
|
resident because of the applicant's: |
|
|
(1) attitude concerning abortion; or |
|
|
(2) ethical, moral, or religious beliefs regarding any |
|
|
other medical procedure. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Chapter 103, Occupations Code, as amended by |
|
|
this Act, applies only to an abortion or other medical procedure |
|
|
performed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |