HB 1430 Summary

• Grants medical professionals and health care institutions the right to decline participation in specified medical procedures and research (abortion, contraception, sterilization, assisted reproduction, cloning, stem cell research, and fetal research) based on conscience or religious beliefs.

• Prohibits discrimination against medical professionals who refuse to participate in these procedures, including termination, suspension, loss of privileges, demotion, or wage reduction; allows reassignment without demotion or pay reduction.

• Prohibits discrimination against health care institutions that decline to provide these procedures if they provide patients with a consent form disclosing the institution's conscience-based limitations before admission.

• Establishes that violations allow civil actions with treble damages (three times actual damages), minimum recovery of $5,000 per violation, plus court costs and attorney's fees; permits injunctive relief including reinstatement.

• Exempts emergency medical treatment necessary to save a patient's life and requires medical professionals to still inform patients of their health conditions, risks, and available medical options (excluding referrals for declined procedures).