On May 2, 2019 on the National Day of Prayer President Donald Trump issued new rules protecting doctors and nurses from being required to perform abortions or provide women referrals to have an abortion. The rules are designed to reinforce existing federal law and protect the conscience rights of healthcare providers who have a moral objection to ending the life of a child.
The Department of Health and Human Services issued the 440 pages of new regulations, under the guidance of the Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex Azar. The First Amendment is of course the first line of defense for healthcare personnel who have a moral objection to performing an abortion or from being forced to refer a women to someone who will commit an abortion. However the First Amendment rights of individuals and businesses working in the medical profession have still been under attack for sometime, and additional protections are necessary to reinforce the protections already currently in place by the First Amendment.
The new regulations issued under the Trump administration will protect medical personnel from having their conscience rights violated.
“This rule ensures that healthcare entities and professionals won’t be bullied out of the health care field because they decline to participate in actions that violate their conscience, including the taking of human life,” the Office of Civil Rights Director Roger Severino said in a statement. “Protecting conscience and religious freedom not only fosters greater diversity in health care, it’s the law.
“Laws prohibiting government funded discrimination against conscience and religious freedom will be enforced like every other civil rights law,” Severino stated.
[Editor’s Note]:
Click here – PDF to read the Final Conscience Rule.
Click here – PDF to read the Final Conscience Rule Factsheet.
