House Bill 308 - Medical Ethics Defense Act

• Creates new Chapter 13 in Title 54, Idaho Code, establishing the "Medical Ethics Defense Act" to protect rights of conscience for medical practitioners, health care institutions, and health care payers based on religious, moral, or ethical beliefs.

• Prohibits discrimination against medical professionals and health care entities for refusing to participate in or pay for medical procedures or services that violate their conscience, with discrimination defined broadly to include employment actions, licensing restrictions, and contractual impediments.

• Provides whistleblower protections for medical practitioners who report violations of the act or disclose information about legal violations, ethical breaches, or patient safety concerns to employers, state agencies, or federal agencies.

• Establishes civil remedies allowing aggrieved parties to sue for damages of three times actual damages or $25,000 (whichever is greater), plus attorney's fees and costs, along with possible injunctive relief for violations.

• Repeals Section 18-611, Idaho Code (previous freedom of conscience provision), and declares the act effective immediately upon passage.