SB-0975 Summary

• Permits health facilities to decline participation in health care services that violate their conscience, with objections applied equally to all patients and with advance written notice required.

• Allows health care payers to decline offering insurance contracts or products that cover health care services conflicting with the payer's conscience, and protects payers from discrimination by public officials or entities.

• Requires employers of health providers to adopt policies within 6 months addressing conscience objections, including accommodation request processes, written acknowledgment within 24 hours, and prohibition on penalizing providers for objections.

• Establishes that health providers at county medical care facilities and nursing homes may request accommodation only for life-sustaining device removal and related care, with specific procedural requirements including written requests to supervisors.

• Provides civil action remedies including damages and attorney fees for health providers penalized for requesting accommodations, and imposes civil infraction fines up to $1,000 per day or per occurrence for violations.